Should baby Charlie be allowed to live?

I HAVE followed the case of the parents of desperately ill baby Charlie Gard, who want to take him to the U.S. for treatment. Twentynine years ago, when he was three, my son Craig was knocked down by a car and left with a head injury, and broken neck and limbs. He was not expected to survive and, if he did, not to make much of a recovery. Craig is now 32 and a wheelchair user, who lives his life as independently as possible and enjoys WWE wrestling, music and art. He is writing his life story. The courts, hospital and experts should allow Charlie’s parents to take him to the U.S. If the family is refused this chance, they may spend the rest of their lives wondering if they did their best for Charlie. The experts are not always correct, and even if Charlie does not survive or the outcome is not what his parents hope for, at least they’ll know they gave him every chance.

MAIRIANNE BLYTH, South Woodham Ferrers, Essex.

i COMMenD Charlie Gard’s parents for their incredible effort to keep their son alive, but the time has come for them to accept medical advice. Over 40 years ago, my husband and i were in a similar position. Our daughter Sally had a brain tumour that left her paralysed and blind and we never knew if she could hear. We prayed for her survival — it didn’t matter to us that she couldn’t move or see. Sadly, after four months in a coma, she died. On reflection, we realised how selfish we had been. We were thinking about ourselves, but would Sally really have wanted a life without movement or sight? We miss her dearly, but sometimes we have to accept that what we want is not what is best for our children. ANNE JODRELL, Sandbach, Cheshire.