Mum in tears as judge says Charlie must die in hospice
A rare genetic disorder has left Charlie Gard blind, deaf and suffering with severe brain damage TRAGIC Charlie Gard will spend his final hours at a hospice, the High Court heard yesterday.
Mr Justice Francis was told that the terminally-ill baby’s parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, accept that they cannot take him home to die.
But they were still locked in a dispute with Great Ormond Street Hospital last night about the detail of their son’s “end of life” care.
Acrimonious
As proceedings ended Ms Yates, 31, left the court in tears, saying: “I hope you are happy with yourselves.”
Her barrister Grant Armstrong paid tribute to her earlier, telling the court: “She is not a quitter under any circumstances at all.”
In the latest acrimonious hearing the hospital said Charlie should not be transferred from its care until a qualified medical team has been assembled for him.
However, the family’s advisers claim the hospital has “set the bar so high” in finding experts to look after him.
Mr Justice Francis gave both sides until noon today to agree a detailed care plan before he imposes one.
The latest episode in the five-month legal drama follows the decision on Monday to allow Charlie to “die with dignity” from the rare, genetic mitochondrial disease.
Mr Justice Francis ruled in favour of Great Ormond Street after the parents dropped their application to take him out of hospital for treatment in the US.
The couple accepted that time had run out for their son but claimed he could have been a “normal, healthy little boy” if he had had the treatment earlier.
Great Ormond Street argued throughout that he had suffered irreparable brain damage, was blind and deaf, and could only breathe through a ventilator.
Ms Yates attended yesterday’s hearing wearing a heartshaped pendant engraved with Charlie’s name, while her 33-year-old partner remained at their son’s bedside.
Mr Armstrong said Great Ormond Street nurses have volunteered to look after the 11-month-old when he is moved out of hospital.
Mr Armstrong said a company had also offered to supply the kind of ventilator which is currently keeping Charlie alive.
But he added they had been advised by a doctor that they should look after Charlie in a “hospice setting” rather than at their home in Bedfont, south-west London.
Tragic
The barrister said Charlie is now in a stable condition and his parents hoped to spend “a week or so” with him after the transfer.
Mr Armstrong said Ms Yates had spent a lot of time in court instead of with her son and wanted another two days to agree a plan with the hospital.
Fiona Paterson, for the hospital, said: “Any further delay merely compounds the misery of this tragic case. It is simply unacceptable for this to be allowed to drag on.”
Mr Justice Francis said: “The time really has come for decisions to be made.”