UK's National Health Service to remove 12-year-old from life support against parents' wishes

[konfab]

The UK’s High Court ruled Friday that doctors can turn off life support machines for brain damaged Archie Battersbee — a ruling his parents say they will appeal.

Archie has remained in a coma since he was found unresponsive with a ligature around his neck at his home on April 7. Doctors say continued treatment is not in his best interests and should end.

...

"We disagree with the idea of dignity in death. Enforcing it on us and hastening his death for that purpose is profoundly cruel," she said. "It is for God to decide what should happen to Archie, including if, when and how he should die."
Dance believes her son, a gymnast, choked while allegedly taking part in a viral social media trend known as the "blackout challenge."

https://thepostmillennial.com/uks-n...ort-against-parents-wishes?utm_campaign=64494

 

[konfab]

They should be honest about the motivations on this tbh. It cannot be about protecting the interests of a person, as that person is legally dead if you wanted this to not be murder. So what this actually is about is saving the NHS money.

The honest way to go about this business is to state that the NHS doesn't have an obligation to pay for life support for someone who has permanent brain damage, and if the parents want they can continue care at a private facility.

 

[Priapus]

The damage to Archie’s brain has deprived him of any bodily autonomy and Archie's organs will eventually fail and his heart will stop, the justice said.

"This court has to ask itself whether continuation of ventilation in this case is in Archie's best interests," he said. "It is with the most profound regret, but on the most compelling of evidence, that I am driven to conclude that it is not.

So what's the issue here?

Can't keep on support forever/

 

[Hamster]

"Archie would want us to keep on fighting,"

Enforcing it on us and hastening his death

It is for God to decide what should happen to Archie, including if, when and how he should die.

that Archie would "not want to leave" his mother

Sounds more like irrational parents in grief.

 

[Hamster]

From another article

Mr Justice Hayden is now the second high court judge to rule that Archie’s treatment should end.

I mean...

 

[Pak Fa Fui]

The blackout challenge is a popular internet trend that challenges participants to strangle themselves until they pass out, then upload the video to TikTok.

 

[Gnome]

The honest way to go about this business is to state that the NHS doesn't have an obligation to pay for life support for someone who has permanent brain damage, and if the parents want they can continue care at a private facility.

If you are in a coma and you can't breath on your own after a certain amount, that is called being brain dead.
So what kind of recovery do you think this person will have?
They are going to be on ventilator for life because they aren't alive anymore, depending on how you define "alive" by human standards.

 

[Kosmik]

If you are in a coma and you can't breath on your own after a certain amount, that is called being brain dead.
So what kind of recovery do you think this person will have?
They are going to be on ventilator for life because they aren't alive anymore, depending on how you define "alive" by human standards.

Wait now, brain death and coma are two different things, I'm sure it been proven that a coma patient has active neurons firing etc by mri? Brain death has the absence of even that.

 

[konfab]

So what's the issue here?

Can't keep on support forever/

The issue is who makes the decision.
It should be the family that makes a decision like this, not the court, not the doctors.

 

[Gnome]

Wait now, brain death and coma are two different things, I'm sure it been proven that a coma patient has active neurons firing etc by mri? Brain death has the absence of even that.

Brain death is a spectrum.
Some neurons firing does not mean you will ever recover.
You honestly believe they'd want to turn off his life support if there is a chance of him recovering?

 

[Defonotaltaccount]

From another article


I mean...

Maybe the judges should turn it off together ?
They ruled so they should not have an issue enforcing ?

Anyway its sad, business will always beat sentiment/morals/ethics.....

 

[Gnome]

Anyway its sad, business will always beat sentiment/morals/ethics.....

LOL, what are the ethics of keeping someone on a ventilator for the rest of their life when they are still a school child

 

[Defonotaltaccount]

LOL, what are the ethics of keeping someone on a ventilator for the rest of their life when they are still a school child

It was an example of money always beating other concerns out.
If the parents do not want it then why force it to happen ?

Before you set down any argument bear in mind, this will lead to a broader discussion.

 

[Some Eejit]

It was an example of money always beating other concerns out.
If the parents do not want it then why force it to happen ?

Before you set down any argument bear in mind, this will lead to a broader discussion.

Hospitals tend to run better when it's the experts calling the shots.

 

[konfab]

Hospitals tend to run better when it's the experts calling the shots.

Running better for who?

 

[Some Eejit]

Running better for who?

Literally everybody. There's little room for sentiment. Can't run a hospital on feelings.

 

[Defonotaltaccount]

Hospitals tend to run better when it's the experts calling the shots.

Hope they have an expert on the myriad issues surrounding this.
Something tells me they cant cover all aspects.

 

[Some Eejit]

Hope they have an expert on the myriad issues surrounding this.
Something tells me they cant cover all aspects.

What myriad of issues?

It's a pretty straightforward case. I suspect you'll hear no more of it.

 

[Defonotaltaccount]

What myriad of issues?

It's a pretty straightforward case. I suspect you'll hear no more of it.

You would need more than this but to get started.
Expert on Theology, morality, mental health, ethics.......
Maybe this is not as clear cut as you would like it to be.

 

[Some Eejit]

You would need more than this but to get started.
Expert on Theology, morality, mental health, ethics.......
Maybe this is not as clear cut as you would like it to be.

I see no scenario in which any of these 'experts' will be deemed relevant or necessary. Can you elaborate?