Charlie’s parents condemn ‘inhuman’ hospital
A HOSPITAL’S refusal to allow a sick baby to be taken abroad for treatment was condemned as ‘inhuman’ by his parents yesterday.
Nine-month-old Charlie Gard’s parents have raised £1.3 million in public donations for him to undergo experimental treatment, but a court has said they cannot take him to the US for the therapy.
The Court of Appeal ruled last week that doctors at Great Ormond Street should be allowed to withdraw Charlie’s life support and allow him to die – a process which could begin this week.
His desperate parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, are to ask the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling. They said they were ready to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg if necessary.
Charlie has a rare genetic condition which saps energy from his muscles, lungs and other organs and he is being kept alive by a ventilator. Doctors at Great Ormond Street told the Court of Appeal he could not see, hear, move or make any sound and that it was ‘unethical’ to keep him on life support.
But his parents insist Charlie does respond to them and have fought for the chance for their only child to undergo the experimental nucleoside treatment in the US.
Miss Yates, 31, a carer, said: ‘We have had our parental rights stripped away as if they don’t matter at all.
‘The way we have been treated by doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital has been inhuman.
‘Our son is basically being kept as a prisoner at the hospital.’ Great Ormond Street Hospital said: ‘We listen to and respect the views of every parent whose child is in our care but our duty is always to act in the best interests of the child.
‘We will continue to support and co-operate with Charlie’s parents as best we can at this difficult time.’