Don’t trash these parents. They’ve been trying to get that baby out of the UK and into America for over a half year. They never asked for the government of the UK to pay for that. They just wanted the “permission” to take him.
And FYI they raised money to pay for the treatment in America too. This can’t be about money since all the UK has to do is let him go and he ceases to be an expense to them. This is about control. I guess that long history of serfdom has them thinking about freedom differently.
I agree that this case isn't just about money (from the British side), but at the end of the day there will ALWAYS be a decision made that is based on financial considerations.
One thing that always bothered me about this case was that the hospital had no qualms about overruling the parents in medical decisions that didn't even involve the hospital. Who could argue against the wishes of the parents to simply bring the kid home, if he is going to die anyway?
At the same time, we should recognize that there is definitely a gray area between parental rights and the best interests of a child -- and it often involves medical care for children. Parents get prosecuted for child abuse in the U.S. all the time in cases where they made decisions related to medical care that endanger the health of the child. Most states have religious exemptions written into their child abuse statutes, but I believe 15-16 states do not.