US expert ‘fails to get Charlie’s doctors to reconsider’
CHARLIE Gard’s doctors emerged from a crucial summit about his fate yesterday still convinced he should be allowed to die.
They apparently failed to be persuaded by American neuroscientist Dr Michio Hirano, who flew back to New York last night.
Dr Hirano and an expert from the Pope’s hospital in Rome spent five and a half hours trying to talk round Charlie’s doctors.
Last night his mother Connie Yates revealed Charlie was set to undergo more tests. They could decide if he is fit to undergo experimental treatment on his brain condition.
She added: ‘Our gorgeous baby boy is still stable. We are at his bedside and feel satisfied he is not suffering or in any pain.
‘As Charlie’s loving parents, we are doing the right thing for our son in exploring all treatment options.’
Dr Hirano, from the Columbia University Medical Center, is offering to try the experimental therapy. It has never been tested on any human or animal.
The expert is at the forefront of researching Charlie’s rare form of mitochondrial disease, and told the High Court last week there was a ‘small but significant’ chance of improvement.
But that was before two brain scans that the 11-month-old had on Sunday, his first since April. He had an MRI scan and an electroencephalogram (EEG) to monitor brain activity for more than 30 minutes.
Neither the results, nor Dr Hirano’s view of them, have been made public, but were central to yesterday’s meeting of experts at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London.
Dr Hirano, the Rome doctor and Miss Yates were all hoping to convince GOSH doctors to let them try the treatment.
But they faced a GOSH team including Charlie’s consultant paediatric intensivist, consultant
‘Our gorgeous boy is still stable’
paediatric neurologist, and an expert in mitochondrial disease. A GOSH spokesman said its position had not changed since last week, when it said Charlie had ‘no quality of life and no real prospect of any quality of life’.
Last night Miss Yates said she and Charlie’s father Chris Gard were ‘so grateful to Dr Hirano and the other clinicians for coming to see Charlie’.
She added: ‘Charlie will be having some more tests shortly.’
Miss Yates was allowed to attend the summit after convincing the High Court judge she should7.30am andbe there. lasted untilIt started1pm. at
Mr Justice Francis is due to read a transcript of the meeting before the next hearing, likely to be this Friday.
Charlie’s parents have waged a four-month legal battle to prevent GOSH removing his ventilator. His condition means his lungs are too weak to function by themselves.
His doctors say he is blind, deaf, unable to move and badly brain-damaged.
His parents say his condition is not this bad and provided the Daily Mail with a photo of him with his eyes open taken last Friday. The High Court has said it would be kindest to let him ‘slip away’. The Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights agreed. Charlie has survived three decisions to withdraw his ventilator, but was saved each time by appeals by his parents and interventions from Pope Francis and Donald Trump. Then Dr Hirano and six fellow experts wrote to GOSH offering ‘new evidence’, and the High Court reconvened. Mr Justice Francis will give his verdict next Monday or Tuesday.