“WE’RE SORRY WE COULDN’T SAVE YOU”

My heart goes out to Charlie Gard’s parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates who are understandably distraught to have finally come to the end of their long court battle to have their son treated in the USA for his very rare condition. This is every parents worst nightmare and those words “we’re sorry we couldn’t save you” are heartbreaking and will haunt us all. We have all watched from the sidelines as this horrific mess has unfolded and it should frankly never have happened.

We understand that Chris and Connie were only doing what any parent would have done in the circumstances, looking at anything that could have helped save him and that emotions were running high. It was extremely unfortunate for them that it has become such a media storm – such a battle between the American pro-lifers and the doctor’s who are treating him. They understand that the doctors know best, but in situations like this, surely there is a bigger picture to be looked at, because we all know that there are other treatment options in other countries that could maybe have helped.

Charlie is not going to live for very much longer and now his parents will have to carry on, not only without their son, but feeling that if they had been allowed to take their son to America months ago, they might have had more hope for his future. They would have understood that there was only a slim chance of survival, but couldn’t they have been allowed to at least try? This court battle has wasted FIVE MONTHS of his very short life – that’s 50% of his entire life wasted and his parents will forever have to live with believing that the stolen time was responsible for his death. Charlie’s muscles have severely atrophied in that time and so now the decision has been taken out of their hands and it’s totally wrong that it has taken so long. From experience I know that court cases are long and arduous and when the life of a baby is at stake, how can things be allowed to drag on for so long?

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH OUR STATE DECISIONS? How can it possibly be that in this very same week Noel Conway is going to have to come before a court to ask for his right to die a dignified death?

There is huge public strength of feeling that we are unnecessarily restricted by the current laws and that the deliberate extension of suffering as a matter of public policy is a disgrace to humanity.

So this week, the courts have to decide that a child must die and a man must live?

WTF.

This is not right. There are circumstances around every human being that has to be looked at individually. This cannot be a blanket decision any longer and common sense must surely be used to make decisions that will ease the pain of not only the individuals concerned but of all the people around them who love them. Parents, partners and children.

Noel Conway is going to have to challenge the 1961 Suicide Act by saying that it breaches his human right for a dignified death. He is a terminally ill former lecturer with less than a year to live, because of aggressive motor neurone disease. How absolutely terrible that he has to be the one brave enough to come forward to challenge the law.

What about the consideration of his peace of mind? Of Charlie Gard’s parents peace of mind? Why can’t Noel Conway be allowed to live life to the full and enjoy his final chosen moments before deciding it is the right time to die. He is a grown man with good reason to want to take responsibility for his own choices. Every two weeks someone travels to Switzerland to end their lives. This is unacceptable.

In both cases, the choices and feelings of those responsible for the unbelievably difficult decisions should be considered and I for one am disgusted with the situation we have left these poor people in and I feel so upset and sorry for them all.