I have donated £50 tonight to GOSH

[Didyoumeantobesorude1]

in recognition of the fantastic work their staff do for very ill children. Please join me if you are able to do so.

That's fab OP. I'm sure they appreciate it and raising awareness of the amazing work they do is a good thing IMO.

I already donate to GOSH, and have done for many years. Posters suggesting the government should pay for medical care don't actually have any understanding of just what GOSH does. As well as pioneering medical research, they fund counselling, accommodation for families, travel expenses for patients and their parents... the list is very lengthy and the work they do is amazing.

It needs no highlighting.

Given that there are people saying it's crass and what about other good causes (I appreciate that last one was after your post) I'm not sure that's true. Pretty much everyone has heard of Charlie Gard, maybe not everyone will be aware that there are people who have stopped donating because of the situation.

YANBU OP. And stealth boasting? Jog on.

I think that's a shitty attitude Spidey, I pay plenty of taxes but still give to charity as I can see my funds directed where I feel they are best served as per my beliefs (I give my time too).

It's such a cop-out to say we should leave everything to government as we pay taxes, great way to disempower yourself.

I've donated to GOSH due to the current furore, I hate to think of sick children possibly being denied the excellent care they give as a result of a baying mob. It also disturbs me to think that there will be a tranche of subsequent cases eating up funds on the back of this, plus GOSH are now back in court to review 'new evidence' (which I have no doubt will turn out to be spurious).

They need our help and support at the moment, not just for them, but for the future of medicine and legal precedence in this country. I think there's a very important principal at play here that may affect how we are all treated in future and that's not something that should be approached lightly or without serious reflection and consideration and certainly should not be directed by a group of ill-informed people with an internet connection, foreign leaders with agendas, religious groups who hold life itself above any other consideration or heartbroken parents, who may or may not be a pawn in the games of others.

YY ILike

How come people are fussing about £50 being a lot of money in this context but when everyone's posting about their london homes, their nannies, their cleaners and housekeepers it's fine?

I know why of course, just pointing out that none of you actually care about poverty or you'd be on those ones too. "How dare you talk about having a nanny when some of us can't afford to top up the electric" - nah, it doesn't happen!

and a lot of people seem to have very strong opinions on a case they've not learnt any of the facts about. Unless you think parents should own their children and their children should have no rights of their own you have to agree with the judge on this one. I know people do think that but normally they keep quiet about it because people frown on child abuse

I feel very sorry for them but am reluctant to donate money as to be frank I don't want it going towards huge legal bills.

They are a very well-supported organisation receiving funding from (obviously) the NHS, private patients, huge organisations and wealthy individuals. So OP doesn't need to come on here going on about her £50 donation like she's Bill Gates. It's a piddling amount to them and there are many equally worthwhile charities out there so she doesn't need to urge us to join her.

What strange folk we are. Criticising a poster who had the best of intentions and accusing her of showing off? Are some of you that angry about life and jealous of other people?

So what if £50 is a week's wage for some? Is that the OP's fault and should she be ashamed of her ability to donate? I guess the in-thing is to be ashamed of any sign of success in case someone is offended and labels you crass.

Some people want to donate secretly, that's fine. Another person eants to be open about it and drum up support, that's fine too. OP there is absolutely nothing wrong is saying you have donated and how much you have donated. The problem is in people's minds and not with your actions.

Well done. I celebrate your generosity and I will go ahead and donate.

Some people project unhappiness all over the place.

GOSH are a fantastic world class hospital. My child was extremely well looked after there as have been other children that we have got to know. I felt lucky we could be looked after there at such a stressful time. Good for you OP, it's a lovely thing for you to donate to such a good cause and YANBU at all to start a thread about it.

I would always encourage folk to donate to GOSH. DS is a patient, thankfully non life-threatening. It is humbling just walking though the doors. You know you're at the place where your child will be treated with diamond standard care. Will thank them forever and it will never, ever be enough.

I'm under no illusion that my considerably-less-than-£50 donation means much to GOSH in a financial sense.

But given the shit thrown at that hospital in recent weeks, I wanted to show some tangible support, and I wouldn't have thought to do it without MN.

I should say that with DS's condition GOSH have developed IT info on how to spot, treat, escalate which GP's can access at will. So you don't have to be treated there to benefit from their expertise.

There are other hospitals around the country that treat sick children. Thank God.

Bill Gates washing? Are you on glue?

A lovely gesture. I loath the venom being directed at GOSH. Hospitals & families across the country face similar heartbreaking decisions each & everyday. The frenzy surrounding the court's decisions will have a long lasting impact on how hospital staff approach these terrible cases, with a knock on effect on the legal costs incurred by the NHS or many years to come.

@AnotherOneofThese - spot on

There are other hospitals around the country that treat sick children. Thank God.

Nobody is suggesting otherwise. Feel free to donate your "piddling amount" to them and fundraise for them. No need to get all bitter about the OP asking people to donate to GOSH.

Kind of ironic to say that the OP is "crass" and then take the opportunity to state you already donate to GOSH

I haven't come across a single bit of GOSH bashing or abuse. This shite that gets posted as news that people believe terrifies me.

My children were in nicu, we worked out our medical bill would have been as a rough guess £1m give or take a few quid. I donate wherever and whenever I can.

5Blue - there are great paediatric departments round the country and I know my local one has a very well supported fundraising charity. Mostly for the extras (as per GOSH) that make life easier for children/family but also for research. I guess GOSH gets the most attention because it deals with some of the rarer and more difficult diseases to which other paediatric teams refer - though sometimes it's vice versa depending on the specialties the hospitals develop.

A very kind gesture OP x

You've done a good thing OP, I completely agree with your sentiments

Keep your eyes peeled for a documentary to be screened into GOSH in a couple.of weeks time on itv.
It's surrounding a massive investigation into one dept there.

Also, being treated at GOSH got us to be eligible for research which might help any child with the same issues.

Thank you to the supportive posters, and I guess the unsupportive comments are to be expected on AIBU. Funny in a way that some people think I'm some kind of rich hedge fund manager or something (I'm not) while other people think my donation is a piddling amount! Thank you to the people who've said they have donated too. Lots of "piddling" amounts add up, and also show support to the medical staff at a difficult time.
I agree that there are other deserving hospitals. My child was saved by a hospital many hundreds of miles away from GOSH, which I've also supported.