It's tragic and nobody should judge the parents nothing prepares you for this.
I have been in a position where I have had to make the incredibly difficult position to stop life support.
Every day I have to live with that.
They have my deepest sympathy.
If ever a time to consider "prayer"....We'll I bet we've all already done it for this kid and so many others suffering.
And I'm NOT a betting man!
I have two beautiful grand kids and thank my lucky stars every day for the millions of cells that split / grew as they were meant to !
A lot can go wrong !
And this is a high profile case because the parents were brave enough to shout for help.
At least they'll be able to say they did their best and that should help.
The courts and hospital are trying to let Charlie die. The same courts and doctors won't let people who want to die do so. People suffering from terrible diseases are forced to "live" in agony instead of being allowed to die with some vestige of dignity left. One of my relatives suffered from a form of Supra Nuclear Progressive Palsy, because he lived in Vancouver, Canada, he was able to choose to pass away when he knew he was ready. Instead of being forced to live in horrendous pain and no quality of life. He was a lifelong Miller.
The doctors are bound by the law - this does not mean they agree with it!
People who make decisions about keeping loved ones alive have an incredibly challenging and unenviable task.
My girlfriend is a doctor and believes it is not a good idea to keep people alive at all costs (though is often bound by the law to do so).
Sometimes people are so poorly that their chance of any sort of quality of life is non existent and we are just keeping them alive to delay the inevitable. This can often result in considerable suffering.
Its worth giving serious consideration to resusicitation orders on the elderly and weak, giving CPR to a frail old person who hasn't got long anyway can be quite an undignified way to go, bruised and cracked ribs etc.
We understandably don't see this side or understand it. However sometimes its important to trust the judgement of the doctors.
The doctors deal with the facts and years of research and experience and that's expected of them.
The emotional implications to loved ones is a totally different scenario and one which is the hardest decision probably anyone will ever gave to make.
If someone has a wish to pass on there own terms as it was because of illness that's different to having someone else have to make that decision on there behalf.
It's very rare for the law to be asked to give a judgement in these situations.
It's the actions of the parents and their unwillingness to accept the views of the doctors that initially created this situation.( I say this without judgement or blame)
This was followed by the outrageous outside interference that has put intolerable pressure on the decision makers.
The doctors have rejected the so called " new evidence" but have been advised by their defence organisation to present it back to the judge.
In the meantime according to the view of GOS doctors Charlie may be suffering..it's uncertain but in their view what is certain is that there is no chance of any improvement that could be termed significant and certainly will not reverse his brain damage.
Only machines keep the young boy alive...If they are switched off then the Pope has his chance while the world is watching.
The judge must not let Charlie down...
How noble of you not to be judgemental or allocate blame. That must have taken great deal of self restraint.