NEW HOPE FOR CHARLIE
High Court to hear fresh evidence on therapy to save sick baby
CHARLIE Gard has won a final chance of life with a High Court hearing on treatments that could save the 11-month-old.
Great Ormond Street wants a judge to look at new evidence from abroad.
The hospital said last night: “It’s right to explore it.”
CHARLIE Gard won an 11th-hour reprieve last night as the Vatican pleaded with medics to use an experimental drug to give the 11-month-old a chance of life.
It warned time is running out for the sick youngster, meaning the drugs may not be tested first.
But it brought fresh hope to parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates yesterday – the day little Charlie’s life support machine had been due to be switched off.
Great Ormond Street Hospital applied for a High Court hearing to consider the new evidence after a hospital in New York offered to ship an experimental drug to treat him and researchers at a Vatican children’s hospital called for an experimental treatment to be used.
GOSH said: “Two international hospitals have communicated to us as late as the last 24 hours that they have fresh evidence about their proposed experimental treatment.
“We believe, in common with Charlie’s parents, it is right to explore this evidence. GOSH is therefore giving the High Court the opportunity to objectively assess the claims of fresh evidence.”
The New York hospital, which cannot be named for legal reasons, offered to ship an experimental drug to the UK or to treat Charlie in the US.
And the Pope’s children’s hospital, Bambino Gesu in Rome, wrote about a nucleoside therapy that is “experimental” and should be tested in mice first.
It said there is “insufficient time to perform these studies” and “respectfully advocated” medics should reconsider Charlie’s treatment.
It comes after Donald Trump and the Pope both tweeted support for Charlie being kept alive. Charlie has a rare condition, seen just 15 times before worldwide, that has left him with “irreversible” brain damage. He cannot breathe without a ventilator. Specialists at the Central London children’s hospital said there is no hope of Charlie’s condition improving and they could not guarantee he was not suffering.
The parents, both in their 30s and from Bedfont, West London, reject this. Ms Yates said: “Charlie’s not suffering. All we want is two to three months to know if it works.”
The Supreme Court ruled last month that going to the US for treatment would prolong Charlie’s suffering. The High Court hearing is due on Monday at 2pm.