Advertisement

Readers like you keep news free for everyone.

More than 5,000 readers have already pitched in to keep free access to The Journal.

For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can help keep paywalls away.

Support us today
Not now
Saturday 2 December 2023 Dublin: 2°C
Great Ormond Street

Parents of Charlie Gard to bring 'new evidence' to court in bid for US treatment

His father Chris Gard asked a barrister representing the hospital today: “When are you going to start telling the truth?”

A BRITISH COURT began re-examining the case of a terminally ill baby today whose life support is due to be withdrawn at a London hospital, after Pope Francis and US President Donald Trump intervened in the case.

London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital said last week that it had received “claims of new evidence” that 11-month-old Charlie Gard could be treated for his disease and has asked a court to rule on how to proceed.

The boy’s parents, who submitted a petition of over 350,000 signatures demanding that they be allowed to take him to the United States for treatment, attended the hearing at the High Court in London.

His father Chris Gard shouted at a barrister representing the hospital saying: “When are you going to start telling the truth?”

Judge Nicholas Francis asked the parents to set out any “new evidence” they had and later adjourned the hearing until Thursday.

Pope Francis last week expressed his support for the baby’s parents and said he hoped doctors would allow them to “care for their child until the end”.

Bambino Gesu, a Vatican-run hospital in Rome, has since offered to treat Gard and sent medical advice suggesting that treatment could be possible.

Trump also waded into the debate last week, tweeting that the United States “would be delighted” to help.

A US doctor has also proposed treatment for Gard.

Charlie Gard court case Nick Ansell / PA Images Gard's parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard hope to bring their son to the US for treatment Nick Ansell / PA Images / PA Images

The British hospital said on Friday that it stood by its opinion that Gard’s rare form of mitochondrial disease, which causes progressive muscle weakness in the heart and other key organs, was not treatable.

Doctors there believe Gard’s brain damage is “severe and irreversible” and have said the baby may be suffering, in contradiction to the parents’ views.

But doctors said it was “right to explore” any new evidence and said they were seeking the court’s view.

Gard’s parents have lost a series of appeals in British courts and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and had no further legal recourse.

“He’s our son, he’s our flesh and blood. We feel that it should be our right as parents to decide to give him a chance,” his mother Connie Yates said yesterday.

“The whole world knows about us and about Charlie and our fight… Until you’re in this situation, you don’t understand the power of hope,” she said.

© – AFP 2017

Read: Great Ormond Street Hospital applies for new hearing into baby Charlie Gard’s case

Read: Donald Trump offers help to baby whose life support is to be switched off

Your Voice
Readers Comments
46
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.