Charlie Gard parents admit defeat in fight to save ‘warrior’ son
CHARLIE GARD’S parents accused Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) of delaying treatment until it was too late as they gave up their legal fight to save their “warrior” son.
Charlie’s life support will be switched off in the coming days after his parents dropped a court battle for the right to take him to New York for experimental therapy. “We are so sorry that we couldn’t save you,” they said in a statement.
Connie Yates, Charlie’s mother, told the court that her “sweet, gorgeous, innocent little boy” will not live to see his first birthday, in less than two weeks’ time.
In a statement, Miss Yates, 31, complained that the world-renowned children’s hospital had “wasted time” in refusing to allow doctors from abroad to treat her son. Charlie suffers from a rare genetic disease – mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome – that the hospital said had left him severely brain damaged.
With Chris Gard, Charlie’s father, at her side, Miss Yates told the High Court: “Had Charlie been given the treatment sooner he would have had the potential to be a normal, healthy little boy.”
In tears, Miss Yates said: “The last 11, nearly 12 months have been the best, the worst and ultimately life- changing months of our lives but Charlie is Charlie and we wouldn’t change him for the world.
“All our efforts have been for him.
“We are about to do the hardest thing that we’ll ever have to do which is to let our
beautiful little Charlie go.” The parents, from Bedfont, west London, had been told by Prof Michio Hirano, a New York neurologist who has pioneered an experimental therapy for children with a similar condition to Charlie’s, that there had been a chance of helping their son.
Miss Yates said it was “unfortunate” that Prof Hirano had not been given access to GOSH’S “raw data” in April – at the time of a previous High Court hearing – that showed “no actual evidence of irreversible brain damage”.
Two doctors said further scans carried out last weekend had not shown “irreversible” brain damage, as the hospital had claimed earlier this year, but a new MRI scan on Friday had revealed “irreversible” deterioration of his muscles that meant he was untreatable.
Miss Yates said: “They [the doctors] both agreed that treatment should have been started sooner.
“There is one simple reason for Charlie’s muscles deteriorating to the extent they are in now – time. A whole lot of wasted time.
“Charlie had a real chance of getting better.
“It’s now unfortunately too late for him.” Miss Yates said her son remained an “absolute warrior”, adding: “We could not have more love and pride for our beautiful boy.
“His body, heart and soul may soon be gone, but his spirit will live on for eternity and he will make a difference to people’s lives for years to come.”
She said comfort came from knowing “Charlie may have been too special for this cruel world”, and that she and her partner now wanted to spend as much time with him as possible before his ventilator was removed.
“We are now going to spend our last precious moments with our son, Charlie, who unfortunately won’t make his first birthday in just under two weeks’ time,” she said.
“Sweet dreams baby. Sleep tight our beautiful little boy. Charlie Matthew William Gard. Our little hero.”
Great Ormond Street defended its treatment of Charlie, insisting it had begun the process of seeking experimental therapy before the boy began having seizures in December last year, which continued into the following month.
In a statement released to the court, Katie Gollop QC, the hospital’s barrister, said it disputed the claims that Charlie had not suffered brain damage and that there had been “no real change in Charlie’s responsiveness since January”.
The hospital said it had invited Prof Hirano to examine Charlie in January.
“That invitation remained open at all times but was not taken up until July 18 after being extended, once again, this time by the court,” said Ms Gollop.
The hospital also claimed Prof Hirano had given the parents false hope by claiming he had new “laboratory findings” to suggest his treatment would be more beneficial than he previously realised.
Ms Gollop added: “All of GOSH’S thoughts go with Charlie and his mother and father – the hospital wishes each of them peace in their hearts at the end of this day and each day to come.”