The myth of the irrational parent

Will parents really do anything to save their child?

This article by Zoe Williams in the Guardian today is just another in a long line of articles about the case of Charlie Gard saying exactly the same thing.

The accepted message is:

• The doctors are dispassionate and able to accept that the child is desperately ill and there is nothing to be done.
• The parents are desperate to save their child at any cost, will do anything at all to save him and are behaving in an irrational way; however this is okay because any parent would do the same.

Rumer's Story, part 17

Cardiology appointment

Tuesday 30th June to Wednesday 1st July 2015
26 weeks pregnant

So on the Tuesday, we went to our second cardiology appointment. Recalling how Professor Marshall had been happy to consider surgical options even in the most dire of situations last time, we were hopeful that he would remain open to considering these and other relevant treatments. However, we also knew that offering active treatment for babies with trisomy 18 was not usual practice in the UK, and we weren't sure whether the diagnosis would change his approach.

VIDEO: Neonatal ethics conference presentation

In June 2016, we were invited to take part in a neonatal ethics conference. We talked about Rumer and about some of the difficulties we faced, focussing on the antenatal interactions with neonatology. We gave summaries of the experiences of other families affected by trisomy 18 and drew out some suggestions for doctors and other health professionals about working with families, particularly where the doctors and parents disagree about the best way forward.

This is our presentation.

When physicians say "No"

Your next steps

This post is for parents who find themselves in the situation of being told that treatment will not be offered to their child even though they think that treatment is in their child's best interests.

This is likely to be the experience of most families who want invasive treatments for a child with trisomy 18 in the UK.