Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

To post a message about a missing child

189 replies

alreadytaken · 29/08/2014 09:54

A five-year-old boy with a brain tumour has been taken without consent from hospital by his parents, sparking a major police hunt for the family.

Ashya King was taken from Southampton General Hospital and is now believed to be in France with his parents and six siblings.

Police said he needs constant medical care and there are "serious concerns" for his life if he is not found today.

The family, from Southsea, Portsmouth, were travelling in a grey coloured Hyundai I800 Style CRDI, registration KP60 HWK.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28978655

OP posts:
Lifesalemon · 29/08/2014 21:15

The report I read said that the family failed to return to the hospital after ward leave as part of his rehabilitation. I know you can't always believe everything you read but if that is the case then it doesn't sound like he is at end of life and they have taken him away to die. If the prognosis is positive I can't believe any parent would think of doing anything that would risk his progress. When my daughter was seriously ill and we were having ward leave I was nervous even taking her to the hospital dining room on my own without a nurse let alone run off to another country. Again we don't know the facts or their reasoning but I think if he was making a recovery they may now have denied him that chance.

Tikimon · 29/08/2014 21:24

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

buffyp · 29/08/2014 21:24

Tikimon that is a horrible horrible post. My son died last year after complications from surgery to remove a brain tumour. We have since found out he had a very rare, extremely aggressive cancer. His chances of long term survival would have been very slim and the treatment horrendous. We have never had to make the difficult decisions this family has and my heart goes out to the poor little boy AND the family. I in no way support the sudden removal of the boy from the hospital however we do not have all the facts and to call them abusers at this stage is appaling. You will soon forget about this boy and carry on with your life as normal. I guarantee you this family won't.

buffyp · 29/08/2014 21:28

That is a ridiculous comparison and downright insulting. I repeat you do not know the whole facts of this case and to compare grieving parents with a person who shot up a movie theatre is beyond belief. We also, quite rightly, do not know exactly what the boys prognosis is so stop guessing.

Tikimon · 29/08/2014 21:41

buffyp Thanks I'm sorry for your loss.

But I don't believe for a second you would watch your son suffer his last moments or take keep him from receiving medical treatment either.

The only reason everyone is sympathetic to this family is because he is still alive. I hope the boy is found in time.

Lifesalemon · 29/08/2014 21:45

However nasty it sounds it is still surely true that deliberately denying your child the care that he needs could be seen as a form of child abuse so I can see where Tik is coming from.

FlossyMoo · 29/08/2014 21:47

This is the point Tik we do not know the full details of the pain he may or may not be in.
We know nothing yet you are minimising the impact of what a child's terminal illness can do to parents. I for one would not be able to think straight or clearly and I would say I would probably have a breakdown.

Your posts are offensive to this family and to those that have lost children.

Buffy I am truly sorry for the loss of your son xx

MexicanSpringtime · 29/08/2014 21:52

There is no court order, they just said on the radio.

cupofsneeze · 29/08/2014 22:46

The DM are reporting that the family have been told there is nothing more that can be done for their son and they have gone in search of a treatment for him.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2737458/Ashya-King-missing-parents-snatched-hospital.html

I feel nothing but sympathy for them all.

thinkingaboutfostering · 29/08/2014 23:07

Tik your posts are vile! Do you have zero capacity for compassion. I hope to god your never put in these parents position.
I have not read any media reports to suggest that he is at risk from anything other than the feeding pump battery running out of power. And as I have already stated it's perfectly possible that they have come up with solutions to that.
How do you know they are not heading somewhere that have offered to help their son?
How about walking in someone else's shoes before judging them.

OneStepCloser · 29/08/2014 23:24

Jeez how can anyone feel nothing but compassion for this family, they have been told that there is no more that can be done for him so they have taken him in the hope that another doctor can help.

Unless you have walked in their shoes they now can you determine what you would do?

My heart goes out for them all.

steff13 · 29/08/2014 23:37

What is his prognosis? Do we know for sure his parents don't have any thing to relieve his pain?

MNHQ
EllenMumsnet · 30/08/2014 11:42

buffyp our hearts go out to you and others who have experienced such terrible loss Flowers

Can we just remind everyone that Mumsnet aims to offer support to all parents, and ask folk to check out our guidelines now and then.

PhaedraIsMyName · 30/08/2014 12:45

According to this the battery on his mechanical feeding system will run out. I don't think, if this is correct , they are doing their best for him. Obviously there are situations where it is entirely proper for parents' wishes to be over-ruled.

Missing Ashya King 'may be in Spain' www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28993791

PhaedraIsMyName · 30/08/2014 12:46

Steff13 if that BBC report is correct they won't have the means to feed him.

PhaedraIsMyName · 30/08/2014 12:48

Onestep I'm fairly certain I would not take a terminally ill child who is fed by medical intervention out of hospital and dragged him halfway round Europe.

Nancy66 · 30/08/2014 13:17

I hope the little boy is not in any pain but I can't feel any anger towards the parents, what a horrible situation to be in. Maybe their actions are misguided but they're only driven by love.

PhaedraIsMyName · 30/08/2014 14:22

Nancy "guided by love" does not excuse everything. From what has been reported the action of the parents seems to have been dictated by what they want not their child's interests.

Guided by love would seem to result in will starve.

PhaedraIsMyName · 30/08/2014 14:27

Where is the suggestion that his condition was terminal coming from? The latest BBC report says

A spokesman for the hospital, which contacted police six hours after the family left, said on Friday: "Ashya was a long-term patient who was permitted to leave the ward under the supervision of his parents as part of his ongoing rehabilitation.

That doesn't sound like a terminal situation.

sanfairyanne · 30/08/2014 14:31

some papers have said it is terminal. sorry, dont remember which
am glad papers are now clarifying it is not a criminal investigation, as well

FlossyMoo · 30/08/2014 14:36

The reports I have read state that doctors have told the family due to the aggressive nature of the cancer he as 4 months to live.

Lifesalemon · 30/08/2014 14:43

What I can't understand is why everyone thinks its ok to starve an already ill child and be excused for it by most of the posters up thread but if I posted I was going to starve my healthy child to death the very same posters would be in uproar.

FlossyMoo · 30/08/2014 14:51

Where has anyone said it is ok to starve this child?

Stop making stuff up. Hmm

brainfidget · 30/08/2014 15:12

While it's not yet clear why they have removed their child from hospital care, if I was seeking better care for my child elsewhere, it would be performed with an organised and professional transition of care from one provider to another, including a speedy and medically supervised transit from one place to another, preferably by plane.

Wheeling him along the streets to a car, down the motorway, on to a ferry, off the other end on to another road network, and then on to wherever, without proper planning and care is irresponsible and careless in the highest degree.

I would be amazed if any medical provider was ready and waiting for him at their planned destination, which means the best case scenario is that they are wheeling him into A&E in a foreign country.

Love is not enough for a child if (a) parent(s) act dangerously.

however · 30/08/2014 15:16

Buffy, a friend lost her boy in similar circumstances. It was brutal.

I'm very sorry.

Swipe left for the next trending thread