We’ve been denied our final wish
Mum’s fury at hospital bosses
CHARLIE Gard’s mum last night blasted doctors after losing a bid to spend more time with her son.
A judge agreed Great Ormond Street could send the tot to a hospice to die quickly. But Connie Yates said: “They have denied us our final wish.”
AFTER losing the long legal fight to have their precious son treated, Charlie Gard’s parents had one last battle with medics in a bid to spend more time with the gravely ill tot.
We get up every day to care for sick children, not cause further anguish SPOKESWOMAN FOR GOSH ON STAFF SUPPORT FOR FAMILY
But Chris Gard and Connie Yates suffered further heartache when a judge sided with doctors and ruled their 11-month-old child should go to a hospice and have his life support withdrawn almost straight away.
And yesterday the tragic boy’s mum hit out at Great Ormond Street Hospital after it fought to block their wish to take him to such a place with a team of doctors and nurses who would care for him so they could say a long goodbye.
Distraught Connie said: “Great Ormond Street Hospital have denied us our final wish. We just want some peace with our son, no hospital, no lawyers, no courts, no media just quality time with Charlie away from everything to say goodbye to him in the most loving way.
“Most people won’t ever have to go through what we have been through, we’ve had no control over our son’s life and no control over our son’s death.”
Connie and Chris, both in their 30s and of Bedfont, West London, had wanted to take Charlie home for his final days. But they finally accepted he would go to a hospice after a court hearing on Wednesday.
The couple then launched a frantic search for suitably qualified medics to look after him there. They had until noon yesterday to find the expert care that would allow them spend a few more days with him saying their final farewells before his treatment ceased.
Great Ormond Street had wanted the brain-damaged boy’s suffering to be over quickly and insisted there was “simply no way that Charlie… can spend any significant time outside of an intensive care environment safely”.
High Court judge Mr Justice Francis agreed with the doctors and approved a plan which means Charlie’s life will end before his first birthday a week today.
Connie added in a statement: “We were pleased this morning (well as happy as you can be at a time like this) two doctors came forward to offer their help to grant Chris and I our final wish which was to spend a few days to make precious memories with our beloved son away from the hospital environment.
“In short, the first doctor who came forward was a senior hospital consultant with a dual GMC registration for paediatrics and neonatology. “The second doctor is a consultant respiratory paediatrician. These doctors were willing to share the care and to be on site 24/7.
“We also had a team of intensive care nurses who would be by Charlie’s bedside 24/7 on rotation. Additionally, we have been offered the use of a two-bedroom flat which has all the required equipment.
“Charlie does not require this level of care currently so he would be better cared for.
“Despite us and our legal team working tirelessly to arrange this near impossible task the judge has ordered against what we arranged and has agreed to what GOSH asked.
“This subsequently gives us very little
time with our son. I’m shocked that after all we’ve been through they won’t allow us this extra time.
“Seeing as they didn’t allow us our wish we then asked for extra time here but this has also been denied.”
A spokeswoman for Great Ormond Street Hospital said: “We deeply regret that profound and heartfelt differences between Charlie’s doctors and his parents have had to be played out in court over such a protracted period. It has been a uniquely painful and distressing process for all. Charlie’s parents have tirelessly advocated for what they sincerely believed was right for their son, and nobody could fault them for doing so.
“All of us at Great Ormond Street get up every morning to care for sick children, not to cause further anguish to devoted parents like Chris and Connie. Every one of us wishes there could have been a less tragic outcome.
“While we always respect parents’ views, we will never do anything that could cause our patients unnecessary and prolonged suffering.”
The judge ruled Charlie will be treated at Great Ormond Street for a “period” of time, set out confidentially, before being moved to the hospice, which is not named for legal reasons.
It says doctors can then withdraw “artificial ventilation” after a “period” of time, which again is not being made public. The order says everyone involved agrees that the arrangements will “inevitably result in Charlie’s death within a short period thereafter”. The hospital described the hospice as a “very special place” and said staff would do “all they can to make these last moments as comfortable and peaceful as possible for Charlie and his loved ones”.
The tot has mitochondrial depletion syndrome, which has left him unable to move his limbs or breathe unaided.
Chris and Connie had wanted to take him to the US for untested treatment by specialists. But Great Ormond Street insisted it would be of no benefit to the youngster.
And Mr Justice said “the nucleoside therapy has not even been tried on mice with the same strain of mitochondrial disease from which Charlie suffers, let alone humans”.
Chris and Connie yesterday shared heartbreaking videos of the tot laughing before they knew he was ill.