Wales Online has the story of six year old Amber Hartland suffers from Infantile Tay-Sachs, a rare incurable brain disorder that has left her almost completely paralysed. Last week she was admitted to hospital with a chest infection but now doctors are taking legal action to prevent her being admitted to intensive care next time she is ill. (Cf. Father's joy as 'right to live' Amber comes home)Amber is hoping to go to Lourdes next year; she is happy and comfortable and not in pain. The medical authorities are talking about "the best course of action", her "best interests", "a very complicated and sensitive situation" and the difficult decisions that have to be made.
The idea that it could be in a person's "best interests" to die was first enshrined in English law in the Tony Bland case. It is distressing to hear this same gruesome logic applied to a little girl whose parents just want to care for her and love her.
Further coverage:
Daily Mirror
The Sun
Daily Mail
6 comments:
What a sad sick state of affairs it is when so much of tax payers money is squandered so frightfully on ridiculous things like uneccessary art installations (and a lot more besides) and yet those very resources which will enhance the physical quality of life, prolong it even, are denied those in need.
I think its a joke that those in the 'caring profession' are seeking to put in place measures that will shorten the life span of a vulnerable and sick child, the very patient they presumably entered the medical profession to care for to their upmost ability.
I read that Amber has been 'left' almost completely paralysed.....had she been born with an almost complete paralysis, and had this not developed as a result of Tay-Sach's would there not have been a continued duty of care to the child?
I just wonder if I have read that right.
If a child is born with the extent of their disability apparant they are not denied treatment perhaps.... whereas one who is born without the full extent of disability apparant, is seen after a continued worsening of their condition, as a drain on hospital resources?
May God bless little Amber Hartland, and her family. I do so hope that she makes it to Lourdes.
Recently, I lost someone very close because the doctors in Intensive Care insisted that it was in that person’s “best interests… quality of life”, because their prognosis was gloomy. I fought them tooth and nail and received the most wonderful support from two of your fellow Southwark priests in this. You should have seen the sneer on one of the doctor’s faces when I pointed out that the sick person was a Catholic and must not be denied fluids or food as part of the “slipping away” process. My goodness, we are a reviled people. Even that was denied, as I noticed on the last day, the food had been removed. Needless to say, the all-powerful doctors won and the person died, only for the Post Mortem to show up their diagnosis as being wrong: yet another needless death.
As Fr Frank Pavone says, “We are a people of Life!”. Let’s not forget that. How about we all make a special novena to our Lady of Lourdes for this intention and all others in a similar predicament!
I am very sorry to hear of this story and sadly not particularly surprised. If you have the energy, sue: they should not be allowed to get away with this.
Thank you, Father. I agree, something must be done. I'm praying for God's direction in this.
What a precious little face on that girl...
Amber Hartland's parents say that their daughter has the right to live her life. Absolutely - and how can anyone dispute this, least of all the hospital and medics whose only raison d'etre is to save and preserve life!!!! Or am I missing something here???? My heart goes out to the parents of little Amber, while the government chooses to spend £millions on pointless embryo and human-animal hybrid experimentation that leads nowhere, they refuse to spend money on truely deserving cases, which in my books this most definitely is. Our medical establishment has definitely lost its way, its compass and focus has gone haywire as it has gone further down the road of violating the right to life by pushing for evermore abortion, euthanasia and embryo research rights. As soon as you start legislating to remove the fundamental and inalienable right to life of the most vulnerable individuals in society
the baby in its mothers womb and the elderly, and now the sick and infirm, you lose track of your place and responsibility within our society.
My prayers are with the Hartlands and the fight they have on their hands. If it were my daughter (and God has blessed me with four!)I would do exactly what these parents are doing - fighting for their daughters RIGHT TO LIFE. I would search out to the ends of the earth, no matter the personal cost, because of that thing called 'LOVE'(famous Johnny Cash song in the back of my mind). What a heartless society we will inherit if it all boils down to money at the end of the day. I bet the technology is available to help this little girl right now! Meanwhile just think how looney and decadent we have become! Spain has just given apes (yes monkeys!)a legal statute to be considered for a whole host of 'human rights'. So while various so-called civilised countries play at being the 'Village Idiot' for a day and waste millions of $$$$'s on such nonsense, tragic cases like little Amber's will sadly continue, until we vote for and employ politicians whose first and primary concern is Human Life. Remember this next time you vote - question your MP's on their pro-life record and make sure they understand where you as THE VOTER are coming from. We need governments made up of political faces across the world that put LIFE first and foremost on their agendas!!!!!
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