I had similar questions regarding “why not just check him out against medical advice” (the UK NHS allows this and has a form for doing so), and “is/why Charlie a ward of the court”. Turns out that it isn’t directly related socialized medicine (although that adds money pressure)...it has to do with UK child welfare laws. The US has similar laws, but they give more leeway to the parents, but the parents in the US can still be overridden in cases like Jehovah’s Witnesses or Christian Scientists and blood transfusions. In the UK the hospital or doctor can petition the court on behalf of the child and a judge has to make a ruling. In the US they cannot directly do that. For more information see:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40600932
It’s because the United Nations is part of the United Nations child welfare laws. All western countries are part of it except the USA. Thank God we are not. However, there have been instances here where hospitals have taken authority of a child’s care in the hospital over a parent decision.
This should have never gone this far. The parents either were not informed of the laws or they didn’t understand them if they were.
Unfortunately his condition was very bad at four months...his disease fatal under the best of conditions regardless. The Dr. who intervened and gave the family ‘false’ hope, especially when he had not seen the child was in error to have done so. He admitted he did not have all the information.
Again...Charlie was gone weeks ago if not months...
SAd day for all concerned.