Charlotte does not have a “life”, just a pitiful existence.

It appears that Charlotte was considered well enough to go home in February of this year (2006) although she still requires 24 hour a day care..

Her parents split up in January and are now very rare visitors to the hospital where Charlotte has lived all her life (The mother has visited 3 times in the last 8 months).

Charlottes 3rd birthday was this Saturday. not sure if the parents turned up for the party.

And though the parents don’t want her to go to foster parents, Charlottes younger sister is in foster care for much of the week.

So, have her parents now given up on her? They are leaving the care of the child to the hospital (who obviously want her moved from the hospital so that they can care for other children who need a bed).

Unless suitable foster parents turn up, I guess that she will eventually die in hospital…one day…

sad.very sad.

I would take her in without a second thought.
WHY does she have to go to a foster home just because her parents split up? I don’t get it.

Not an easy subject to take sides on. Having just become a father I am sure I would have trouble if it were my child. But we can all have a personal opinion based upon the facts presented to us.

My understanding is that the doctors want the right to withold resuscitation if they consider that it is not in HER best interests.
On the other hand, the parents have been fighting to ensure that the doctors MUST resuscitate her every time, no matter what the doctors opinion might be.

Unlike what we see on the TV sitcoms, resuscitation is a brutal affair ( I have recently done training courses in first aid and baby rescuss, just in case we need it ourselves). At some point, the process itself changes from life saving to physical abuse. Someone, at some point has to make a decision when to stop.

Only modern medical methods allowed Charlotte to survive birth and live to this day. Even 5 years ago she would have probably died at birth.

There is probably zero chance of recovery. Charlotte suffered significant brain and organ damage. Her oxygen requirement has reduced (now to 30%) but she still requires almost constant care and supervision.
The cost aspect has to be considered, both in monetary and resourse terms. Her care is estimated at over £300 a day (about $550) and totals over £1million. She has also been a consumer of the limited resourses in hospital which therefore have not been available to other children who need is as much as she does.

But, we live in a society here where for the most part, healthcare is free for those who need it.(we each pay about 8% of our salaries to pay for it). It is reassuring that the care and knowhow is available if we need it. It is not restricted to those who can afford it more. But our hospital budgets are stretched beyond limits and the only way to cut costs is the reduce the number of hospital beds and medical staff.

The latest news is that Charlotte is likely to be taken into foster care since her parents have split up.

Personally, I beleive the doctors are right. They are viewing the situaion objectively, without letting emotions get in the way.

And I agree with an earlier post. Had Charlotte been a pet dog or cat, we would have never have let her suffer this long. Of course, we each have an opinion on what suffering is. Charlotte cannot communicate her opinion to anyone.

Decisions are made on behalf of Charlotte every day. Her death is another decision that she will not be allowed to decide upon herself.

I believe that anyone who is severely disabled enough that they will never be able to support themselves or take a meaningful part in society has no business going on living. I believe that adults with dsabling conditions have a moral obligation to commit suicide, and that anyone who WISHES to commit suicide for whatever reason should be able to get asistance in doing so.

The moment that we begin to allow, indeed encourage, people to die from a lack of care simply becuase we “feel they don’t have a “tolerable standard of life” is the day that we are no better than the nazi regime.

“And it is in the best interest to let disabled people die?”

No not die no we should conduct experiments on them first.(Is this the sort of thing you are after?)

Your constant over dramatisation is really rather childish. You have consistently twisted and misrepresented everything I have said which only demonstrates the weakness of your argument.

Your other point is simply a repeat of a rather poor joke again based on a deliberate misrepresentation and equally pathetic.

What about that fact that you are dying, victor? If I shoot you in the head it is a more an act of mercy than murder since you are going to die anyway, right?