Posted on 04/14/2017 9:50:11 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
LONDON, England, April 13, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) — A UK judge has ruled it is in a child's best interest to “die with dignity” rather than to allow his parents to seek additional medical treatment.
Connie Yates and Chris Gard want to take eight-month-old son Charlie to the United States for treatment of a rare disease. A GoFundMe account has given them enough money to do so. But Charlie needs to remain on life support to make the trip and Justice Francis determined it is in the "best interests of the child" to withdraw his feeding tube and breathing machine.
Charlie has mitochondrial depletion syndrome, which degenerates his muscles. It is extremely rare, with an estimated 20 cases worldwide.
Great Ormond Street Hospital officials, who brought the lawsuit, argued that Charlie's life support should be cut off because his quality of life was "so poor" and experimental treatments would only “prolong the process of dying.”
The boy’s parents said taking their son to the U.S. would not cause him more pain or suffering, but could give him another chance. In any case, their lawyer said parents' wishes should be respected.
"We just want to have our chance," Connie told the BBC. "Even if Charlie doesn’t make it through this, I don’t ever want another mum and their child to go through this."
Nevertheless, Judge Francis ruled against the parents.
“Some people may ask why the court has any function in this process; why can the parents not make this decision on their own?” Francis wrote. “The answer is that, although the parents have parental responsibility, overriding control is vested in the court exercising its independent and objective judgment in the child’s best interests.”
Francis based his decision on the assumption of irreversible brain damage.
“Nucleoside therapy cannot reverse structural brain damage," he ruled. "Experimentation cannot be in Charlie’s best interests unless there is a prospect of benefit for him.”
“It is with the heaviest of hearts ... that I find it is in Charlie’s best interests ... to permit Charlie to die with dignity,” the judge decreed.
Charlie’s parents, devastated by the ruling, say they are considering an appeal.
Die with dignity? I’m sure this little boy’s only concern at this point is living.
Don’t give us this die with dignity crap, judge.
His parents should be able to pursue life for him.
The culture of death keeps inching forward.
Since the judge has established that he has no dignity, what are the options?
I believe the FL Schiavo case had to do with discontinuing extraordinary measures and was more of a determination of who had the right to decide that among competing family members.
The state itself was not making the decision so much as deciding which family member had the right to make the decision.
I might be wrong on that.
I am sorry for the loss of your children. Really.
But I fail to see the point in the rest of your post. If the parents are lying for experimental treatment what business is it of this asshole judge or anyone else? And even if the kid dies perhaps the treatment will help someone else down the road.
I honestly do not understand the people who won’t give a human being every chance out there.
Paying. Not lying.
I’m so sorry about your children. They are certainly now angels in Heaven.
bkmk
It is always a good idea to let someone else determine what your quality of life is. We already went there with Terry Schiavo and little Jebby.
That is because you haven't figured out "judges" are the law.
Extraordinary measures included food and water, she was starved to death.
The crown makes decisions on the disposition of its assets...
but I don't think govt and its taxpayers are a bottomless pit of resources....
if the parents want to PAY for everything, I'd say let them....
there is not enough money in the entire world to afford this type of care to every sad case...especially in cases where there is absolutely no hope of reversing the damage already done...
extraordinary measures such as food and water...THRU A TUBE....
Take a hike cherry see if you can find some kittens to kill.
Judges play many roles. They interpret the law, assess the evidence presented, and control how hearings and trials unfold in their courtrooms. Most important of all, judges are impartial decision-makers in the pursuit of justice.
CSCJA: The Role of the Judge
www.cscja-acjcs.ca/role_of_judge-en.asp?l=5
I don’t think a judge saying I looked back at what he said during the campaign and decided his executive order was actually a decree against a certain religion.
Of course maybe you were being facetious.
I'm not against the baby receiving treatment, either for his own or another's benefit, but how long does a hospital keep you on life support (not talking feeding tube here like in Terri's case) but ventilator until the parents choose to do this? Does the hospital have to provide life support for the trip?
I don't think the judge is trying to play God nor do I think the parents are lying. I'd love to see them go home with a healthy baby. It is a sad situation all around.
Nationalize Healthcare(?) is not healthcare, but death care....
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