A British judge yesterday was to rule on where baby Charlie Gard is to spend his last moments before his life support system is switched off, unless a last-ditch attempt by his parents to bring him home is successful.
The 11-month-old baby, who has a rare genetic condition causing progressive brain damage and muscle weakness, has been at the center of a dispute between his parents and a London hospital.
The case has resonated far and wide, triggering a heated debate about who should decide a child’s fate and drawing comment from US President Donald Trump and Pope Francis.
EXTUBATION
Charlie’s parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, want to take their baby home and spend time with him before his ventilation tube is removed.
Great Ormond Street Hospital on Tuesday said that was impossible for practical reasons.
A High Court judge who has presided over a series of hearings on the case gave the parents until yesterday to find a team of intensive care specialists willing to oversee Charlie’s care at home.
Failing that, the judge was to rule on where Charlie’s life should end.
He indicated on Tuesday that the best option might be a hospice — a possibility supported by the hospital and preferred by the parents to the hospital.
Charlie’s mother on Tuesday appealed for a medical team to come forward to help bring Charlie home.
‘UPSETTING’
“We promised Charlie every day we would take him home,” she was quoted as saying by British media. “It seems really upsetting after everything we’ve been through to deny us this.”
Yates and Gard had wanted to take Charlie to the US to undergo experimental treatment.
British courts and the European Court of Human Rights refused permission, saying the parents’ plan was not in Charlie’s best interests.
SCANS
The parents gave up the legal battle on Monday, saying that the latest scans showed Charlie’s condition had deteriorated to the point that no recovery was possible.
They said that the treatment might have helped Charlie had he received it months ago.
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