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Baby RB's Life Support Withdrawn

39 replies

Davros · 10/11/2009 14:08

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8349954.stm

OP posts:
sarah293 · 11/11/2009 14:38

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sadlynoNOTthatPeachy · 11/11/2009 15:04

As Riven says, although his eyesrarely open apparently

but it is the same as any one year old, not an older child.

Poor LO won't know that button X leads to death, or what death is; fear yto a baby is of pain, or mummy not being there, or the unknown.

I don't support this at all, but I think it is unfair to portray that the child need be aware of what is happening- my 20 month old son would not be. Thereareathiousand reasons Mum and Dad will feel awful, but causing fear should not be one.

2shoes · 11/11/2009 15:41

once he has been sedated he won't be aware.

sarah293 · 11/11/2009 15:42

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2shoes · 11/11/2009 15:47

oh I know riven

LollipopViolet · 11/11/2009 16:22

So sad to hear this Agree with Riven, we could be looking at the thin end of one scary wedge here

wannaBe · 11/11/2009 17:30

I don't think anything has changed. The press articles stated that if this child's life support was turned off it would be the first time that a court had ruled in favour of switching off life support to a child who did not have brain damage. In the end, the court didn't rule, the father changed his mind and withdrew his opposition to having the ventalation withdrawn. so nothing has changed. Presumably this isn't the first time that life support for a non brain damaged child has been switched off, but presumably in past cases the parents have agreed to it? IMO it would be more useful to try to establish how many of these cases have been to court and how many times the court have ruled against withdrawing life support, rather than focusing on one case.

I also don't think it's possible to consider every case, or evry child to be the same, and that while life is the best thing for most, there are some for whom it may not be.

Things like walking and talking are irelevant in the scheme of things - there are many people who cannot walk or talk and who lead perfectly happy lives. But this child could not even cry, or swallow, or even breathe. He could not have a tracheostomy fitted and therefore could never leave the hospital room he has lived in for the past thirteen months. He is not living - he is being kept alive, and IMO there is a difference.

There is also a difference between a child who has no movement, cannot even open his eyes any more and will never leave hospital and someone like Christopher reeve who, although could not breathe for himself, was still able to function. Equally there is a difference between a child who is alive and severely impaired - no-one would surely agree that killing a child was ok, but we're not talking about killing a child - we're talking about allowing a child to die.

sarah293 · 11/11/2009 17:42

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2shoes · 11/11/2009 18:14

the father changed his mind!!!
poor man didn't have much choice really, he was never going to win.
to use that is in poor taste imo. he did all he could, but if you have doctors going on and on about how his son has no quality of life....... he rally had no choice

2shoes · 11/11/2009 18:15

and yes riven, all hell would break loose if a non disabled toddler was allowed to die

HeartOfCrystal · 11/11/2009 20:44

Ok maybe changed his mind was the wrong sentence to use, but he objected to the life support getting turned off. Then after he listened to the courts he retracted his objection. Am NOT having a sly dig at the parents in the slightest, i just wanted to express my sadness at the entire situation. I didn't claim to be an expert on the story so forgive me if some of my details aren't perfect. Truth be told i have tried to avoid the story as much i can. From what I've gathered from rivens posts though he is not brain damaged and is fully aware. As for the doctors saying they don't know if he is in pain etc, surely can't they tell from ecg and blood pressure like they do when people are unable to communicate.

Am not here for a debate, just to understand why this is happening. Surely they can't judge the quality of life he could have in 13 short months.

SongOfThePEACHY · 12/11/2009 11:17

Wannabe is right though, the esence of the actual results wasn't that the courts found it OK, but that father withdrew his objections.

' If a non-disabled child needed treatment to stay alive they would not 'be allowed to die' until every avenue had been exhausted'

Older child, but I remember reading about a child who had been allowed to choose to discontinue cancer treatment becuase she decided it was the worse option; its simialr, albeit not identical as child had a say (was 11+ IIRC)

However, trache not able to be done means not able yet- medical science moves at a rate of knots after all

I think the reason people like yourself Riv shouldn't be afraid is that in this case ultimately aprents supported the turning off- no decision or opinion of parents was over turned

SongOfThePEACHY · 12/11/2009 11:29

'As for the doctors saying they don't know if he is in pain etc, surely can't they tell from ecg and blood pressure like they do when people are unable to communicate.

Am not here for a debate, just to understand why this is happening. Surely they can't judge the quality of life he could have in 13 short months'

all good points I think

Also that the baby has no idea of other life- I would hazard a random guess that if you are NT then lose abilities, it would be harder than if you never had them (only going froma fewanecdotes from friends though, nothing mroe)

2shoes · 12/11/2009 12:50

i think imo if we ant to debat this we should start a new thread with no mention of this lads "name" his parents will be going through hell and would hate them to ever google and see it.

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