GoFundMe
The parents of eight-month-old Charlie Gard were devastated by a court ruling that will allow the hospital to turn off his life support, against their wishes.
BBC reports that the ruling comes after specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London told the High Court that Charlie Gard is suffering from irreversible brain damage, and should be moved to palliative care.
Charlie was diagnosed at just eight weeks old with a rare genetic disorder called mitochondrial depletion syndrome, which causes muscle weakness and brain damage. His parents took him to hospital then, and he hasn’t left since.
Charlie’s parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, started a GoFundMe page on January 30 to help send baby Charlie to America for an experimental new treatment for his condition – and they hit their target of £1.3 million over the weekend with only 24 hours to spare.
On their fundraising page, they wrote, “If we don’t raise enough money then we won’t be able to go to America for treatment and Charlie will die!”
However in their High Court case, Justice Francis made the decision with the ‘heaviest of hearts’ that it would be in the best interests of the child for the hospital to be allowed to turn his life support off.
“I know this is the darkest day for Charlie’s parents…my heart goes out to them” Justice Francis said.
“I only hope in time they will come to accept it is in Charlie’s best interests to let him slip away peacefully, and not put him through more pain and suffering.”
When the judge announced his decision, Charlie’s father shouted out ‘no’.
The barrister appointed to represent eight-month-old Charlie argued that getting treatment in the US would be ‘purely experimental’ and would only ‘prolong the process of dying’.
However the barrister representing the parents argued that he would not suffer significantly if he went to seek treatment, and that he should be given a chance.
The parents said they are ‘devastated’ by the decision, and are seeking to appeal.
