I Need To Get This Off My Chest.

[Sqad]

Alfie....Alder hey.

The posts on AB concerning his death describing his death as "BATTLING" has me completely confused.He was in a coma , couldn't hear, couldn't see, could n't swallow and as far as we know, could n't feel pain. So what was "battling" anything to do with his death.? What "show " did he put up, how did he struggle/ it baffles me that Abers and indeed anyone could describe him as a "battler."
Nurses, doctors, paramedical staff, modern medicine kept Alfie alive against the odds......these were the "battlers....not Alfie and what did they get for their efforts....abuse, jostling at the end of their shifts, called murderes,graffiti etched into the paint of their cars, the tyres let down, obscene telephone and emails messages, verbal abuse.

These are the battlers.......NOT Alfie.
Unfortunately this is not the end as we are doubtlessly going to encounter a "Ken Dodd" funeral for Alfie with horse drawn cortege being applauded to the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Liverpool.
During this despicable period other children in Alder Hey have been dying, the medical staff so badly abused continued saving other children's lives whilst their entrance to the hospital has been blocked .

This has been a national disgrace....many people including ABers should stand back, think what they have contributed and be.......thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

[jourdain2]

I agree with you, sqad. Staff were certainly 'battlers' as were Alfie's parents and others. The poor mite was just surviving as long as possible.

News-writers, and others, like hyperbole and to whip-up emotion - as in this case.

[kvalidir]

I personally was against choices regarding treatment being taken from the parents, however I do agree with you that abuse of medical staff is completely uncalled for, however larger questions regarding the rights of families vs Drs when they conflict need clarifying so that this whole noisy uncalled for circus of fol;k on both sides isn't played out each time a scenario like this occurs. I stand by my position that parents ought to be entitled to take a child to another medical facility which ispreprared to treat them, however that is where my agreement ends. To call Drs murderers and threaten medical staff because of a perceived failing in UK law on the matter is wrong in every way.

[Mamyalynne]

I can't say I'm overly impressed with you seeming to lump commentators together - I posted very very little on that topic and am not ashamed of anything I wrote.

I certainly didn't count how many times the words 'Battle/Battling' occurred.

Hope you feel better for the release.

[jackthehat]

Indeed.
Living not far away we have probably seen more of this on our TV screens than folk elsewhere in the country.

There certainly seemed to be a 'type' making up the majority of Alfie's Army and their behaviour has been an utter disgrace.
I'd be interested to see comments from the parents of other seriously ill children being treated at Alder Hay and learn what impact this recent debacle has had on their families.

[nailit]

Must admit Sqad that I'm often left confused when people are labelled as 'battling'.
My mum had cancer a few years ago and I never saw her as 'battling'.
Receiving treatment and hoping for the best Yes, but battling?

[ummmm]

I agree with how disgraceful the protesters were.

[Mamyalynne]

I've seen people battle - to move even a limb,sip from a spoon or smile weakly through the pain to appease loved noes.

None of that applies to this young Lad who never knew life normally at all.

[rockyracoon]

I do agree with you about the words to describe people that are ill. With regards to Alfie, though, it probably gave the parents a wee bit of comfort if they could believe that he was 'battling' the illness.

With regards to the tomfoolery outside the hospital, utterly shocking, people seen at their absolute worst. I'd be very ashamed if one of them was a relative of mine.

[murraymints]

I agree entirely.. wee thing should have just been allowed to pass... mass hysteria and mob culture took over from common sense... it was obvious that the lad had no chance of survival ..tragic but things like this happen, in the past babies were just allowed to die with no intervention of any description... the Hospital and its staff did not deserve the vilification aimed at them... to give false hope is wrong, they said it how it was...unfortunate and all very sad..but facts are facts and the parents were misguided in their reactions...

[-Talbot-]

An odd thing to stew over.

Can you be more specific on what some ABers said that should make them ashamed?

[Garaman]

I agree completely that some people have behaved disgracefully, particularly towards medical staff. However, as far as AB is concerned, although I wouldn’t have used ‘battling’ myself, we are talking about a child dying and people should be able to use the words that they feel appropriate.

[andres]

I would not have used the words ---battling, warrior or gladiator but those were the words his father used when referring to Alfie.If the parents derived some comfort from this then so be it.

[Old_Geezer]

I don't find it so baffling. I suspect one can take definitions too seriously when some expressions in common usage are more loosely used. Anyone who managed to survive for a time when folk didn't expect them to are likely to be referred to as a battler, or some such description. (shrug)

[10ClarionSt]

Alder Hey do a fantastic job looking after children but in my friends' case, she was not impressed with the way they handled her sons' case. He had (still has) an extremely rare condition, hardly known anywhere in the world. She said he was treated like a guinea pig, a specimen. I wont go into details but when they wanted to see him again she refused and has never been back there. He has been to Guys' Hospital a couple of times, but it wasn't much different there. Specialists from all over the world came and wanted to study his case, but his mother was not happy with how it all panned out and has not been back for 9 years. He has learned to live with his condition and is now 21, hoping to graduate at London University as a geriatric nurse. Suffice to say that because of his condition, he will never have children. And it's nothing to do with infertility.

[Tilly2]

Considering that the only comment I made on Alfie was, 'Poor little sausage', I have no reason to feel ashamed of myself.

However, that 'Rent a Mob' lot should be. Definitely mob rule behaviour. Despicable.

[ummmm]

Same, Tilly, all I said was RIP.

[Tilly2]

Sqad, what exactly has created your condemnation of ABers responses?

[Peter Pedant]

O stop finger waggling sqad

Alfies army got a bit out of hand
but you know everyone had fun and not a lot of damage was done

it didnt make the child live any longer
the law hasnt changed

a lot of heat and little light - have another pink gin sqaddie boy

[Tilly2]

I feel a bit like that, Sqad, when people rubbish the teaching profession.

I understand your chagrin.

[ummmm]

A bit out of hand, Peter? They were intimidating staff.