Alfie Evans:an Emergency High Court Hearing Taking Place Now.

[ladybirder]

Parents have an aircraft standing by to take him to Italy. He's now been breathing on his own for almost 24 hours. This needs the judgement of Solomon.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5650177/Alfie-Evans-clinging-life-Adler-Hey-hospital-removes-life-support.html

[ladybirder]

Bednobs the father is to sue the Alderhay for the treatment of his son.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/23/alfie-evans-european-court-human-rights-life-support

[bednobs]

so he says.
it seems likely to fail

[bhg481]

bednobs - I agree absolutely with every word of your last post. You made a very courageous decision and I congratulate you on that.

[Smowball]

bednobs - I didn’t realise that. Am so sorry x

[kvalidir]

The thing is it's true, children are not the property of their parents, however unless the parents are found to be neglectful, abusive or in some other way deficient, I firmly believe that they should be free to seek medical attention for their child elsewhere if other Drs are prepared to treat him. All through this and the Charlie Gard case, we have had parents moving heaven and earth to try to be good parents and fight for the rights of their child, whilst hospitals effectively hold them prisoner refusing to release them to other medical professional who do believe they can be treated. I also firmly believe that most Drs are decent, caring, compassionate individuals who strive to make the right choices, but both GOSH and Alderhey are huge charities as well and can you imagine the impact it would have if one of these children did go elsewhere and were successfully treated? I would like to think there is no dick waving involved in this, but I can't help but think as a whole there is certainly an element of this, particularly in this case.

[andy-hughes]

Bedknobs - you speak from personal experience the rest of us cannot have except in our nightmares.

As a parent, I know I would do everything I could for my child, but I have to hope that I would listen to professional advice, even if it is telling me what I absolutely do not want to hear.

What I cannot countenance, as advised, is compete strangers intimidating hospital staff, what on earth they think they will achieve is a mystery - self-aggrandisement probably - how pointless is that in the midst of this tragedy.

[woofgang]

I think that part of the problem here is that people are saying that "nature should take its course" Well nature has taken its course and the poor babe is breathing on his own. Its one thing to stop ventilation and another to withdraw hydration...... I mean I wonder what the hospital's plan is now...and of course once the child is discharged home what happens then? Having been involved in similar situations with people at the other end of life, while I don't think it was ever done consciously I have on occasion experienced "doctor knows best" syndrome. Like kval, I really hope there is no dick waving involved as every time this happens, I believe that parents' trust in the NHS in general is weakened.

[woofgang]

I absolutely do agree though that the mob outside should be ashamed of themselves.

[pixie374]

These parents have totally lost trust in the hospital. That's a huge failure of communication in any case. Most parents would die before they watched their child suffer unnecessarily. I do wonder what the parents are seeing that the hospital isn't.

[gness]

So heartbreaking isn't it.....I recall rushing to my surgery with an ill baby only to be told there was nothing wrong with her but being given a prescription for what the GP told me was mother's little helper....to stop mummys panicking....
I got in my car and took her to hospital where she was operated on immediately for an intessuseption.....so I'm, rightly or wrongly, always with the parents...x

[pixie374]

Yes, A&E sent me home with youngest son three times in two days before treating him for meningitis.

[Peter Pedant]

the last two cases were acutely ill children outside hospital with diagnoses known to be difficult

Alfie is IN hospital - well scanned - not acutely ill
and with no working brain

completely different -
the problem here is that there is a break down of trust
which would mean - different ward, different consultant or even different hospital
BUT
how many hospitals ventilate children under one ?
and anyway they are unanimous ....

[pixie374]

The point is that parents know their children and sometimes the staff should listen.

[wolf63]

The parent's actions are understandable, although I don't agree with their decisions, but the rent a mob type supporters are not helping either Alfie or his family.

[ladybirder]

This is C&P'd from the BBC website:

Speaking about Alfie breathing on his own after his life support had been withdrawn on Monday night, the judge said: "The sad truth is that it is not the brain stem and the white matter enabling Alfie just about to sustain respiration.
"A brain cannot regenerate itself, as I have been told."
He said Alfie's brain had been eroded and that it had been "damaged entirely and so too had the capacity of sight, hearing, taste and sense of touch".
In a statement released after the hearing, Alder Hey Children's Hospital said its "top priority remains in ensuring Alfie receives the care he deserves to ensure his comfort, dignity and privacy are maintained throughout.

[ladybirder]

PP, great post, legible and very true. Are you feeling OK? xx

Pixie, It must be possible the staff who have looked after him and nursed him day and night for 1.5 years (?) know him just as well as the parents if not more.

[pixie374]

I don't think it's quite the same. I don't know whether they have had time to just sit with him and get to know him or if they are concentrating more on the medical side. This is just about whether he will be happy or not. Mothers have instincts for a reason.

[naomi24]

Bednobs at 20:35, I know ....

I was answering someone who didn't understand what was going on.

[andres]

The judge in the latest hearing states that ''the brain cannot regenerate itself'',or so he has been told. I don't know if any of you watched the TV programme about a month ago whereby a baby was born with little or no brain but now the brain has grown and he is a happy little boy . He has astounded all the Medical people. So miracles do sometimes happen.

[naomi24]

The latest:

//Alfie Evans parents cannot take sick toddler to Italy//

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-43883865

Ahh, what a dear little boy. :o(