‘Give them some peace and let them bring Charlie home’
CHARLIE Gard’s parents yesterday accused hospital chiefs of placing ‘obstacle after obstacle’ in the way of their final wish to take him home to die.
They went back to London’s High Court to beg to be allowed to spend four days of ‘tranquillity’ with their son before withdrawing his life-support.
But Great Ormond Street Hospital said his ventilator ‘does not fit through the front door’ of the family’s flat in Bedfont, London – and suggested a team of six specialist nurses and three doctors would need to accompany him to ensure his ‘dignity’.
After a bad-tempered court hearing, the couple’s solicitor snarled ‘Give them some peace!’ at the hospital’s QC, while Charlie’s mother Connie Yates issued a desperate last-minute appeal to ‘any paediatric intensive care doctor to come forward’ to help the distraught parents fulfil their final wish.
She said: ‘We promised Charlie every day we would take him home. It seems really upsetting, after everything we’ve been through, to deny us this.’ Charlie’s father Chris Gard spent the day at his son’s bedside.
On Monday, Ms Yates, 31, and Mr Gard, 33, reduced the High Court to tears by making the agonising decision to let Charlie die after an eightmonth legal battle. They accepted their 11-month-old, who has mitochondrial disease, was now beyond hope of any cure – which they blamed on ‘a lot of wasted time’ by medics – and would not live to see his first birthday on Friday next week.
But their plan to take Charlie home, give him baths and let him sleep in his cot before saying their final goodbyes on Monday next week has been dashed by the hospital.
Barrister Grant Armstrong, who is representing the family, told the court: ‘The parents’ last wish is to take Charlie home for a few days of tranquillity outside the hospital. Provided appropriate medical care is provided to Charlie, Great Ormond Street has no legal right to detain him.’ But he said: ‘They have put obstacle after obstacle in the parents’ way.’
Mr Armstrong said the hospital had previously agreed there was ‘no issue’ with Charlie being allowed home to die, but for unknown reasons was now blocking it. The court heard the hospital was insisting a ‘full team’ of paediatric intensive care doctors and nurses would be needed, along with a ‘health and safety assessment’, a special bed and ‘security personnel and a police escort’ to take Charlie home.
Mr Justice Francis granted Charlie’s parents until lunchtime today to come up with evidence they could provide an appropriate setting for his death, but added: ‘It looks like the chances are small.’ He will make a final decision this afternoon.
‘Ventilator won’t fit through door’