Charlotte Wyatt - looks like the end may be in sight

[wannaBe1974]

very sad

Sadly, it was always only a matter of time.

It is excruiatingly sad, but tbh, what life has this little girl had ? I hope she finds peace soon.

Her parents are now separated and neither feel able to care for Charlotte on their own. Terribly sad story. I hope she finds some peace.

i know this may sounds horrible but im gald as she had no life at all... no child should live like this!!

I agree biglips - I can honestly say that if this was my own child I would have turned off the life support a long time ago. Terribly hard for her parents and it has sadly taken its toll on them.

I agree NDP I can understand the parents wanting to hold onto their little girl and how upsetting it is for them but I really don't think they are helping her and I would not want my child not to feel pain like she has

Poor little thing

I sincerely hope that if I ever find myself in a position like the Wyatt's then I'll be able to put my own grief to one side and make a decision about what the future really would hold for my child, and what the true implications of endlessly artificially reviving her were. Needless suffering IMO. But what a terribly heartbreaking choice to have to make.

was the parents thought she was gonna get better?.. as she had been a cabbage since she was born!

It wasnt fair on Charlotte at all and yes i would've turned the life support machine a long time ago as she got no future at all

How very sad. Hope she finds peace soon rather than further prolonging of a questionable quality of life. Her parents' situation was always fragile, perhaps Charlotte gave them a joint cause for a while but there are now 3 other children to bear in mind.

^^ "Cabbage" ?! Please, Please rephrase that Biglips

I'm not sure what the parents were expecting in the way of recovery. Perhaps they were hoping that some new therapy would show up in the future to help reverse the damage ? I dunno, maybe they just couldn't bear the thought of letting her go, giving the powers that be the nod to 'switch her off', so to speak.

Poor child and poor parents. Parents were right to an extent in that she lived much longer than the doctors predicted in the original case, and her development was also better than predicted. Just terribly sad.

There were reports that social services weren't prepared to support them in the event that Charlotte did go home, which sounded terrible.

sorry but she was

its the most heartbreaking thing to do for anyone to do

I think this case just demonstrated why it's not always best to leave such a heart-rending decision like this to the parents. I think the medical advice, once it's been double and triple checked and absolutely no stone had been left unturned in trying to find another way, should be paramount. I know doctors aren't infallible, but it's too much to expect the parents to take the responsibility for, as they might see it, letting a child die. It's just an awful situation all round.

Agree Satine. We'd all like to think we'd do the "right" thing, listen to medical opinion first and emotion second but in reality could any of us confidently say they would feel that detached ? I hope I am never put in that position.

This has been a tragic case.

I can't begin to imagine how it must feel to have a child with such extreme needs, and not being able to care for her yourself, not even being able to take her home, and having the most basic of decisions taken from you. But I hope if I were in that situation I would make different choices from the Wyatts.

I hope they soon are able to come to terms with Charlotte's life, be reconciled and somehow find a position of peace, and re-build their shattered lives.

I think you'd never know until you were in that situation.

God Bless that little girl and her parents.

Satine and LIZS, I absolutely agree.

It has been so sad that the doctors have been unable to treat her as they saw fit. not to suggest they should not be questioned, but I know how certain they have to be about an adult, let alone a young child. While I completely understand how the parents felt and that they believed they were acting in their DD's best interests I believe it was, in actual fact, completely the opposite. Very sad.

I can't and won't judge her parents for wanting to keep their baby alive and for fighting for that. I have never been in this position or known anyone if this position. I don't know how I would react, truely. I doubt many people really know how they would react in this same tragic situation.

I think the whole situation is very sad for the whole family. Whatever happens with Charlotte now, I hope she finds peace and no pain. I just wish the whole family my thoughts. Poor people.

Biglips - I actually find your phrase upsetting and pretty offensive. I am sure there maybe a more appropriate turn of phrase you could find, surely

Was reading an article about this family recently - the hospital was preparing for Charlotte to go home in the near future - and I was thinking how hard I would find it to look after her plus I think three other small children (and I'm not a single mum). Obviously none of us know the family and their capacity to cope but I can't help thinking it wouldn't have had a happy outcome if she had gone home...

Agree wholeheartedly with you Hula.

Biglips - I find your turn of phrase really very upsetting

Must have been so hard for her parents to decide on what was best for her.

Biglips - I also think what you said was really offensive.

firstly, I think that to describe a severely disabled baby as a cabbage is extremely insensitive and rates amongst such phrases as retard and spastic, phrases which are mercifully outdated. I hope for your sake you never have a premature baby and have to endure such comments. (rant over now sorry).

I agree that it would be in this little girl's best interests to find a peaceful end now. We wouldn't allow an animal to live like that, so much more sad that a child has had to live like it for the past 2 years.

there have been a lot of questions raised about the parents' conduct though, and judges have not been overly sympathetic towards them because of the manner in which they have conducted themselves. What I also found very shocking was the fact that Debbie Wyatt gave birth to a little boy just 11 months after Charlotte was born, it would seem she was trying to replace her baby even before she'd died. so so so sad.

IME when the doctors opinions and decisions are disagreed with by relatives, well I can't actually recall a time when the patient has had a dignified death. Hopefully this little girl will now be able to do so.

My cousin refers to her adult son (who has Down's syndrome) as retarded... quite frequently, actually. It's honest truth as far as she is concerned. What upsets her is when non-"retarded" people call themselves or their mates "retard" as a joke; it's not funny to her ears.

But I wouldn't say it myself, either.

Feel very for CW's parents.