Eleven months of age. Two loving parents. Hopeless.
This is Charlie Gard. It is a story many of you have followed closely. And still, we are full of emotions knowing it is a story involving a small helpless child reliant on adult decisions. Unfortunately, the adult decisions were intervened by medical doctors and a court system refusing him medical treatment outside the United Kingdom.
His parents decided to end the battle against the medical professionals in the UK and the UK Courts. This means, his parents made a conscious decision to take him off life support.
In a statement, Charlie's mother said, "I'm sorry we could not have saved you."
Let that sink in. Let those words touch you the way they have touched me as a parent. Let them provide a sense of reality in universal health systems.
I have absolutely zero issue with what his parents decided. I could not fathom being in their shoes and would not wish their struggle and need to make a decision as they had with any of my children.
I do not agree with their decision however I fully respect their decision. Again, I could not fathom what they have been through.
Even though I disagree with their decision does not mean I do not support their decision. I support their decision 100% because it was their decision and only they as parents fully grasp being in the position they have been in.
I am praying for Charlie and his parents at this horrifically troubling time. I pray all 3 are at peace.
While I pray for Charlie and his parents, I also pray we as Americans are never forced into a legal dispute with medical treatment practices here in our own nation. Many Americans have already been through medical disputes which turned legal and its horrible. But I fear where we are headed and believe if we go down a specific road, things will get much worse and become more common.