CHARLIE’S FINAL HOURS
Parents’ agony as doctors turn off baby’s life support today ... but refuse to let them take him home to die
LYING beside their son on his hospital bed, Charlie Gard’s parents prepare to spend their final precious hours with their son who is expected to die today.
Doctors refused to allow Connie Yates and Chris Gard to take their ten-monthold home – despite the parents saying their only wish was to put Charlie to bed in the cot he has never slept in.
His life support will be withdrawn at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London after his family lost their lengthy legal battle to keep him alive.
Last night Miss Yates, 31, and 32-year-old Mr Gard sobbed as they accused the hospital of trying to ‘rush’ their only child’s death, even though the couple had been promised they would have time to say goodbye.
The parents had wanted their baby, who has a rare genetic condition, to be given experimental therapy in the US and raised £1.3million to take him there.
But earlier this week, the European Court of Human Rights backed British doctors who said Charlie should be allowed to die.
In a tearful video message posted online yesterday, Miss Yates said: ‘We promised our little boy every single day that we would take him home, because that is a promise we thought we could keep.’
Postal worker Mr Gard added: ‘We want to give him a bath at home, we want to put him in a cot he’s never slept in. But we’re now being denied that. We know what day our son is going to die – but don’t get a say in how that will happen.’
They also released a heartbreaking photo of them lying with Charlie as he faced his final hours. Mr Gard said: ‘Our final wish, if it all went against us, can we take our little boy home to die.
‘Our parental rights have been stripped away. We can’t even take our own son home to die. We’ve been denied that.’
Charlie is one of only 16 people known to have his type of mitochondrial depletion syndrome.
The condition saps energy from the organs and muscles, leaving his lungs so weak he can breathe only with the help of an artificial ventilator.
The couple said they had been discussing options for end-of-life palliative care since he went into hospital in November. Carer Miss Yates said: ‘One option was to let Charlie go home to die.
‘We chose to take Charlie home to die. That is our last wish.’
The couple had even offered to pay for their son to be taken on a mobile ventilator to their flat in Bedfont, South West London, to spend his final hours at home.
But his mother said: ‘Even though we offered to pay for him to be transported back home, doctors have now told us he must die in hospital.’
The couple claim they also asked doctors to allow them a final weekend with Charlie but say this request was denied.
Miss Yates said: ‘We begged them to give us the weekend. Friends and family wanted to come and see Charlie for the last time. But now there isn’t even time for that.
‘Doctors said they would not rush to turn off his ventilator but we are being rushed. Not only are we not allowed to take our son to an expert
‘We’ve been denied our final wish’
hospital [in the US] to save his life, we also can’t choose how or when our son dies.’
British doctors said there was no hope, and were backed by the High Court, Appeal Court, Supreme Court, and the European Court of Human Rights.
The parents say they were then promised by the hospital that there would be ‘no rush’ to change Charlie’s care and treatment.
Last night, asked why Charlie was not allowed to go home to die, a hospital spokesman said that they could not discuss specific details of care. The couple have indicated the £1.3million raised will be used to save other children and a foundation may be set up in Charlie’s name.