That British family who took their dying son from hospital | ExpatWoman.com
 

That British family who took their dying son from hospital

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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 19:04
According to Sky News the UK authorities have withdrawn the European arrest warrant - however it is unclear when the parents will be released
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 18:27
Since none of us know the facts of the case, and can only rely on media reports, we can only guess at the exact chain of events which led to this horribly sad situation. However, my take on this is that the family were unwilling to accept the doctors' prognosis and were determined to seek out another treatment. This is understandable, no parent wants to hear the words "there's nothing else we can do". However, sometimes the correct words should be, "there is nothing else we SHOULD do." Sometimes further treatment can only cause more pain and suffering, the therapy the parents are hoping to try for the poor little boy is brutal. (I have seen this at first hand) It is wrong to suggest that the treatment is denied to UK patients, if it is deemed appropriate, they will be sent abroad at NHS expense. In this instance the doctors obviously decided it was not on the child's best interests to prolong his suffering, and at the end of the day, the patient, not the patient's relatives, is of paramount importance. However, where the hospital authorities overstepped the bounds of decency (not to mention professional ethics) was to overreact and involve the police and courts, and i suspect deliberately misled both by emphasizing the parents' religion, The misuse of an international arrest warrant is equally appalling, that system was not set up for situations of this delicacy, it should only be applied in the case of criminals posing a risk to the public at large. None of this has helped the poor child, and no one comes out of it particularly well, not even the parents. Much as I feel for them, I can't help but feel that their determination to save their child is blinding them to the reality of his suffering. However, I hope that I am completely wrong and that treatment is possible, and successful.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 14:48
Yes I agree with all you say. Given that they are allowed to take him it's a shame that they didn't tell the hospital that they were going to and had made provision for the food and equipment he needs to keep him comfortable. The hospital were obviously very concerned for the child's comfort as well as life and that was conveyed to the police. I'm surprised that the police didn't appeal more for the family to just get in touch and reassure the hospital that they had the necessary equipment especially as the older son seems to actively communicate through social media.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 14:10
There is a lot of debate in the UK regarding whether the police have even acted legally in this case. The child has stage 4 terminal brain cancer. UK parents have the right to refuse further treatment and take their child home if they wish and the child was not under any court order at the time they did so. So it is difficult to see what law has been broken and why a law designed to be used for criminals charged of a crime has been used for this family. In any case it is harder to see a more cruel outcome for the child concerned than to be all alone under police guard and denied his parents in a hospital in Spain while his parents are 100s of miles away in prison awaiting extradition based on this draconian police warrant
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 12:29
Well, when you read in the news, it seems like it is a lot of bad timing for them, as apparently there will be 2 centers built in the UK to offer the specific treatment they want for their son, but at the moment it is not available in the U.K.. And won't be for another several years. The NHS is way behind other countries in using this treatment for childhood cancers. A handful of children have been sent by the NHS to other countries for the treatment, but it all depends on how the different NHS trusts want to spend their money, 'the postcode lottery ' as it is called in the UK. Maybe if they lived in a different part of the UK, they could have gotten the opportunity to investigate the option of this treatment for their child. Apparently their dr.s in the UK would not entertain the idea of even discussing the case with overseas hospitals that perform the procedure. I would do what they did, sell the clothes of my back and run away with my baby, to get a second and third opinion to give my child the best chance of recovery. It's unbelievable that they are now in prison for doing that. It's painful just thinking about it.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 10:25
Unless we know (and fully understand) the child's medical history / treatment plans, noone can comment on whether this was right or not but obviously the hospital had serious concerns for the child to alert the police in the first place. And on the flipside, the parents were seriously concerned that the best treatment was not being given to their child. I don't think the hospital or the police had any right to do what they did. Find it utterly appalling to be honest. And keeping the parents locked up and the rest of family away from the little boy is helping him how exactly? <em>edited by FairyDust on 02/09/2014</em>
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 10:20
Unless we know (and fully understand) the child's medical history / treatment plans, noone can comment on whether this was right or not but obviously the hospital had serious concerns for the child to alert the police in the first place.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 09:52
Really? Usually in such cases the NHS happily let the patient travel to where appropriate treatment is available, if they don't offer it themselves. 'Sometimes' they will fund it - not always. The treatment is still quite experimental in the UK, so their first line of treatment was radiotherapy and chemo, which the parents didn't want. <em>edited by FairyDust on 02/09/2014</em>
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 09:48
Really? Usually in such cases the NHS happily let the patient travel to where appropriate treatment is available, if they don't offer it themselves.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 09:37
I haven't seen any other sides, other than that the effective treatment they wanted for their son, was denied to them by the NHS, so they went to Spain to get it. But it deosn't say why it was denied.... wheither it was unavailabe or not a viable option for their child. The boy had already had surgery. The treatment they wanted, the NHS only uses for eye cancer not brain cancer. Whereas in Spain it's available across the board.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 09:32
The other side is that as the parents are Jehovah's witnesses they could have been refusing life saving good treatment at Southampton (a very good university hospital), trying to find an alternative that suited their own beliefs. The same situation would arise if their son had surgery to remove the cancer (clearly a good thing) but it would require a blood transfusion, the parents would decline that treatment in favour of a non-invasive less effective remedy. The courts would have to step in to keep him alive.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 09:32
I haven't seen any other sides, other than that the effective treatment they wanted for their son, was denied to them by the NHS, so they went to Spain to get it. But it deosn't say why it was denied.... wheither it was unavailabe or not a viable option for their child.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 09:20
I haven't seen any other sides, other than that the effective treatment they wanted for their son, was denied to them by the NHS, so they went to Spain to get it.
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 09:10
Was watching Sky news this morning and they were all guns blazing at Southampton police, NHS and the numpty who is PM (whatisname)
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 09:08
There are two sides to every story and from what we've seen in the media so far there are clearly gaps on both sides. I am sure more will come out in the next few days. In the meantime, my heart breaks for that poor little frightened soul, in hospital in a foreign country, separated from his mum, dad and siblings. That's just not right.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 09:08
I don't think they were doing "everything to keep that lad alive" by refusing treatment advised by the hospital treating him in the uk, self-discharging him and starting a tour of Europe for alternative remedies. The courts and medical professionals are obliged to act in the child's best interest, which can unfortunately conflict with the parents'. They were aware they risked imprisonment if they acted as they did. I hope they find a way of giving him the medical treatment he needs, with his parents out of prison. <em>edited by Britgirldubai on 02/09/2014</em>
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EW MASTER
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 08:24
I think the religion of the parents and the possible refusal of certain treatments were at the heart of the decision.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 07:59
I started following this only yesterday - horrible, saddening situation. The poor family. Doing everything to keep that little lad alive. I wouldn't give a rats - i will go to prison as soon as i have helped my son get all treatments possible and done everything to keep him alive. Then I will sit in prison happy knowing my boys heart is beating.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 02 September 2014 - 07:41
Man, it is just horrific to think of a dying baby alone in a strange hospital while his parents are locked up for wanting to try everything to save his life. His brothers and sisters are not even allowed to see him. What is wrong with this world, where is the compassion. Another sad indictment of the NHS and the UK family courts. Cannot imagine being that family, I just want to cry for them.
 
 

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