Consentus
Clan Forum => Debates => Debates archive => Topic started by: Mini Nub on July 09, 2017, 13:52:56
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Should Charlie Gard remain on life support?
Charlie Gard is an 11 month old baby who suffers from mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome.
Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome refers to a group of disorders that cause affected tissues to suffer from a significant drop in mitochondrial DNA.
The DNA is found in the mitochondria of cells – an organelle found in most cells in which respiration and energy production occur.
This means, as in Charlie’s case, that sufferers do not get energy to their muscles, kidneys and brain.
MDS is typically fatal in infancy and early childhood.
There is currently no cure but some treatments have shown a reduction in symptoms.
The condition causes progressive muscle weakness and brain damage.
This has left Charlie unable to Cry, eat and move.
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Quality of life is so poor I think support should be turned off. Even if he did manage to overcome this now and grow up the amount of treatments and procedures etc would just be too much.
I always think about it as if it were me. As soon as I start losing who I am when I'm old I don't want to be a burden for everyone else. Once I'm in nappies just take me to the closest country that can put me down.
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When an animal is in a terminal condition, it is considered an act of compassion to euthanize. Why is it different with humans? It really bothers me when humans are forced to suffer.
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Without a second thought his support should be removed, why do his parents want him to be kept alive suffering? Who is he alive for certainly not him
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I think it's cruel what the parents are doing. They need to think of the child.
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But they can afford to take him to America why not let them?
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He's clearly suffering and in a very bad way, perhaps turning off life support is the right move. But you have to ask yourself very honestly, what if it was your child?
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But they can afford to take him to America why not let them?
Didn't a BBC article report that the treatment he would/could receive in America or elsewhere would only improve his life by 10%? If it worked.
Found it, here's the link; Charlie Gard has 10% chance of improvement, US doctor claims (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-40593286)
He's clearly suffering and in a very bad way, perhaps turning off life support is the right move. But you have to ask yourself very honestly, what if it was your child?
IMHO, there's not much of a life to have if you're brain damaged, unable to eat and/or move, I wouldn't want to live if that was me, I wouldn't want it for my own child either.
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If it were my child I wouldn't want him to suffer. It would be a very solitary life, not like your average child. No friends, no days out. Just tube feeding. All day. Every day.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4709122/US-expert-fails-Charlie-s-doctors-reconsider.html?ito=social-facebook
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Just let him go to Amercia and give him a chance then. Everyday this argument continues makes me sad
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Looks like they're giving up the legal battle, which means they're going to turn life support off, eventually. Apparently he won't be around for his first birthday, on 4th August.
A hard decision, but a right one imo.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-40708343