I lost on ‘sceptre’ since I was raised on Tintin books that, at that point, were imported from England. I was so excited to get the word. And then dashed as my ignorant teacher ‘corrected’ me, haughtily, into ‘scepter’.

Yeah, I don’t remember there ever being a written test...I guess they keep having to come up with new rules to make it harder; apparently they were having problems a year or two ago when it got whittled down to two kids, and they ran out of the most difficult words.

They have been actively courting the the press in the UK who helped promote their fundraising.

Being a young 6 actually *is* a lot different than being an older 6, they change by the minute still at that age.

No, it’s not a cure - in fact, it’s not much of an experimental treatment, apparently, and wouldn’t do much or anything, even at best, for a child in such an advanced stage.

The experimental treatment in the US is for less-advanced cases and would provide little to no benefit for the child (who might not even survive the trip). The US doctors have even apparently recommended they not do it. The whole issue is about trying to stop the parents from unnecessarily torturing a dying child.

Since Catalina was born I’ve had to deal with the question: when will it be enough? When should I say she’s had enough, so she should be free to go? It’s a horrible question to answer. For us, the line was at serious brain bleeds - it was very likely a baby born 3 months early would have it, and if she had had one, we…

Seen too many cancer patients die. I’ve had several beg me to kill them during the darkest throes of chemo. My big bro died of it. And he died hard...kicking and denying and clinging to life. I think we die as we live.

No. The medical team have decided that continuing to prolong Charlie’s life is not in his best interests, and they should take him off the ventilator, and withdraw all treatment except painkillers and let him die naturally and peacefully. The parents don’t want that, they want him kept alive so that they can take him…

I think it is a moral and ethical dilemma for everyone who is involved with the care in these situations. My mother was in a semi private hospital room with a patient who had been in the bed opposite for 16 years. She was brain dead and had been in that condition for all those years. Apparently her mother used to…

That wasn’t really the same thing as what is happening here. The child was not terminal and was a good candidate for regular chemotherapy (after already having the tumor removed through surgery). The parents then found an experimental treatment which the NHS would sometimes pay for people to get abroad for certain…

This is what our fear of death leads to - people who should be set free to die painlessly are kept alive regardless of facts.

Because the child is a person, and the state is allowed to intervene if they think the parents aren’t acting in his best interests.

Your kids are not your property, you can’t just do whatever you like with them. The hospital and the courts have a moral, ethical and legal duty to look out for the best interests of the patient (this child in this case). If that means preventing the parents from removing the child from hospital, then that is what…

No, the state has paid everything so far (healthcare is free at the point of delivery in the UK), except maybe not that second opinion from Spain. They would also be paying for any medications or facilities used during palliative care. The money the parents raised is for an experimental treatment in the US.

The poor baby has serious, serious brain damage... He can’t breathe on his own, he can’t eat, I remember reading in another news article that he can’t move or control his muscles. He’s dead. There’s nothing his parents can do to help him and keeping him “alive” is just cruel.

That poor child. And I feel for the parents, too. The odds of Charlie surviving the transfer from the UK to the US are small. He is likely to suffer even more before he dies. Doing futile CPR on his body is an indignity and would do nothing but hurt him further. It’s time for his parents to allow him what he deserves,…

I imagine because the hospital’s lawyers are arguing that they’re not acting in the best interest of the patient, so they are counter-claiming that the parents aren’t objective enough to make a decision against medical advice.

Oof. They have my deepest sympathies.

I have a chronic illness that is nowhere near as debilitating as this poor child. No. Let him go. You do not have the right to make another human being live in excruciating pain because you can’t let go. I understand their position, I really do - I have a child and would be absolutely devastated if we had to heal…