[aldo_14]

http://www.newscientist.com/blog/shortsharpscience/2006/10/what-price-life.html

British newspapers have been gripped these past couple of days by the story of a severely disabled girl, who will be 3 years old on Saturday.

Charlotte Wyatt, who has serious brain, lung and kidney damage, weighed only 1 pound and measured just 5 inches when she was born three months prematurely on October 14, 2003. The child hit the headlines soon after birth as her parents battled in the courts to force doctors – against their medical judgement – to provide artificial ventilation if her condition worsened.

Her parents won the year-long legal dispute, which cost the taxpayer an estimated £500,000 ($929,000). In addition, the girl’s medical treatment costs around £300 a day, and has totalled an estimated £1.1 million so far.

Against all the odds, little Charlotte has made it to three and is well enough to leave hospital and live at home for the first time. Doctors are also now measuring her life expectancy in terms of years rather than months. But here follows the bitter irony: she has no home to go to.

Charlotte’s parents have separated and both say they cannot care for her and want foster parents to look after her. Both parents live on state benefits and have been described by hospital sources as infrequent visitors to the hospital that their daughter has never left.

The child needs oxygen breathing machinery and nasal gastric feeding equipment, plus spare equipment if either broke down, according to reports.

The strain of having a profoundly sick child must have been terrible, especially since the parents involved have other children to care for too, so it is perhaps not surprising that they have arrived at this tragic situation, and I really feel for them.

But it does raise the issue: should the courts have found in the doctors’ favour and allowed them to determine whether to allow the infant to die; or should life be protected at all costs?

I certainly don’t have the answer, but I’d be interested to hear your views.

[BlackDove]

Life at all costs. **** the rules of the game.

[Fineus]

I'd be interested to see what the girl says (assuming she can talk?) when she grows up enough to understand what has happened.

[aldo_14]

I'd be interested to see what the girl says (assuming she can talk?) when she grows up enough to understand what has happened.

According to the original DNR court judgement from 2004 (http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2004/2247.html) "Charlotte has chronic respiratory and kidney problems coupled with the most profound brain damage that has left her blind, deaf and incapable of voluntary movement or response...The permanent damage to the brain is certain and irreversible. According to the medical evidence, Charlotte demonstrably experiences pain; whether she can experience pleasure, no doctor knows though most doubt it. ".

So I wouldn't hold your breath.

(EDIT; note - the Wikipedia article states she can see and hear, but that's seemingly based solely upon the parents opinion.  The newest BBc article says 'limited sight and vision' with no medical details.  As we saw with the Schiavo case and subsequent autopsy, it's very easy to see something that's not there, and profound and irrevesible brain damage seems a pretty clear medical opinion to me)

[Wobble73]

How sad! 

Those parents want locking up, life at all costs? Even if the cost is a life of suffering and pain?

I'm at a loss as to what to say, it's just so tragic!

[Colonol Dekker]

I kniow it sounds hard, but if its easier for the kid than a like of constant hurt and uncertainty, (also the fact the parents would rather Fob her off to the fostering system, Thats gotta hurt you emotionally later on.......) I say Euthanise.

[aldo_14]

I kniow it sounds hard, but if its easier for the kid than a like of constant hurt and uncertainty, (also the fact the parents would rather Fob her off to the fostering system, Thats gotta hurt you emotionally later on.......) I say Euthanise.

The thing was, it was never even a question of euthanasia; it was essentially the doctors saying 'look, we don't want to be forced to put this kid through tremendous pain and suffering if she deteriorates further and we need to use increasinly invasive treatment'.

[Mefustae]

I kniow it sounds hard, but if its easier for the kid than a like of constant hurt and uncertainty, (also the fact the parents would rather Fob her off to the fostering system, Thats gotta hurt you emotionally later on.......) I say Euthanise.

Hard? Letting the kid die is the ethical, merciful and right thing to do. Instead, she's become an unloved burden upon the state that naturally should have died long ago, seemingly living in a world of perpetual pain that won't end.

The child will die, there's no question of 'if', only 'when'. For fighting to keep the kid alive against all better judgement, the parents should be held liable for the intense suffering such a poor being must have endured in these past three years.

[Colonol Dekker]

Thats my opinion, At the time if my daughter

has serious brain, lung and kidney damage, weighed only 1 pound and measured just 5 inches when she was born three months prematurely

 I'd prepare for the worst and look at what was best overall.

I kniow it sounds hard, but if its easier for the kid than a like of constant hurt and uncertainty, (also the fact the parents would rather Fob her off to the fostering system, Thats gotta hurt you emotionally later on.......) I say Euthanise.

Hard? Letting the kid die is the ethical, merciful and right thing to do. Instead, she's become an unloved burden upon the state that naturally should have died long ago, seemingly living in a world of perpetual pain that won't end.

How many kids you got, Doesnt matter if its ethical, You still love the little sprogs unconditionally.........

[aldo_14]

How many kids you got, Doesnt matter if its ethical, You still love the little sprogs unconditionally.........

I think that's the point; they needed to let go and realise that, for all their desire, they were putting that poor baby through a literal living hell.  I can only guess it was hard for a highly religious (apparently) parents to recognise that God, fate, whatever, had screwed them over.

[Mefustae]

How many kids you got, Doesnt matter if its ethical, You still love the little sprogs unconditionally.........

Can't say that I have any kids. But if I ever do, and I have a child as ill as this girl, it would be an expression of my love for her to give her respite from a literal living purgatory.

[Colonol Dekker]

D'uh thats my point........

[Mefustae]

Hmm, got the impression you were siding with the parents. Ah well, glad we agree.

[Colonol Dekker]

Same here, I cant abide neglect.

[Mefustae]

I would say this issue is the other side of the spectrum; steming from overprotectiveness rather than any form of neglect.

[Colonol Dekker]

I'm stepping out of this new line of convo.......

[Mefustae]

Great. Now, here I am by myself, talking to myself. That's Chaos Theory.

[Colonol Dekker]

OK, i cant abide neglect.....Seeing you here talking to yourself is a bit nuts.

Overprotectiveness and empathy/guilt/sympathy. . . Its all shades of grey, I dont want to think about if my girl ever got ill like that, Obviously i've shot sick dogs before but they're only dogs- My own blood is a different matter, I know it'd be humane, but it would kill me as well.....

[Wobble73]

Charlotte’s parents have separated and both say they cannot care for her and want foster parents to look after her. Both parents live on state benefits and have been described by hospital sources as infrequent visitors to the hospital that their daughter has never left.

I'd call that neglect! This child needs all the love she can get at the moment, and they can't be arsed even visiting her!

[aldo_14]

Charlotte’s parents have separated and both say they cannot care for her and want foster parents to look after her. Both parents live on state benefits and have been described by hospital sources as infrequent visitors to the hospital that their daughter has never left.

I'd call that neglect! This child needs all the love she can get at the moment, and they can't be arsed even visiting her!

Apparently the Dad has been hospitalized for a drug overdose, too.