Charlie Gard – Medical Treatment Gone Array?

When a government is in charge of healthcare, they can also be in charge of whether you live or die. Case in the point, the medical conflict over the 11-month old, Charlie Gard in Britain. Initially, the powers that be felt that keeping him on life support was futile and the baby should be allowed to die with dignity. His parents feel he should have more of a chance and garnered every cent they could to pay for travel and treatment to America. The British medical services ‘would not allow’ that and put a date of death tag on the little boy. Thankfully, this has been extended and some good has come about on behalf of the little child.

A doctor going for cutting-edge medical treatment on the ailment of the boy and an expert in that particular field came to the UK on his own dime and spent five hours evaluating the little boy. He determined that with the help he could provide in the States, Charlie Gard could have an 11% to 56% chance of improvement. He didn’t feel he was mentally impaired. To sweeten the deal, the US Congress voted to give the parents and Charlie immediate citizenship and residence in the United States. The parents had the financial means to bring the baby over without a single penny required of the British health system. They were refused this by the British doctors and the courts. They are adamant that Charlie stays in Britain and that Charlie should die.

Recently, the doctors showed up at a hearing with brain scans purported to be from Charlie and showing low brain function. Before even talking to the parents about this, they sprung it on everyone to validate their vote for allowing Charlie to die.

You have to wonder about the mind set and callousness of a system that basically kidnaps someone’s child and takes away the parents’ right to make decisions for the child. What is wrong with doctors who refuse to consider an alternative that won’t cost them any money. Why is it so important for them to watch a baby boy die? It does make one think that pride is playing a major part in this because these British doctors have failed to help the baby and are afraid that he just might have more of a life with medical treatment in the United States. Don’t doctors take a pledge about ‘do no harm’? It is tragic, sickening, and evil to follow the news on this where doctors fight for the right to end this little boy’s life.