The Tragic Case Of An 11-month-old Baby

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

The parents of 11-month-old Charlie Gard, who is terminally ill and whose case has garnered international attention, decided to end their battle in court in England, People reports.

An attorney representing Chris Gard and Connie Yates, the boy's parents, told the Superior Court that "time is up" for Charlie. This, after a US doctor said it was too late to give him a nucleoside therapy treatment, the People note notes. Parents reportedly received the results of a CT scan on Monday.

Poor Charlie. It's too late. The damage is already done. Sadly, time is up,” Grant Armstrong told Judge Nicholas Francis, with parents present in the room. Sadly, that window of opportunity no longer exists. Parents have made a tough decision, said the lawyer.

The People article states that Chris Gard and Connie Yates, the boy's parents, had asked a court in England for permission to take their son to the United States for alternative treatment. However, the Family Division of the Superior Court in London had ruled in April that medical experimentation was not "best for Charlie". They were then denied permission to travel to the United States for treatment.

Charlie has a rare genetic condition called Syndrome of reducing DNA mitochondrial (mitochondrial depletion syndrome) that causes muscle weakness and progressive brain damage. Charlie is hooked up to machines that keep him alive and he couldn't move, eat, or breathe without assistance.

"This is irreversible even with [nucleoside treatment]. It is no longer possible to offer him any opportunity for improvement at this time,”he said.

Meanwhile, the boy's mother tearfully expressed: “We just wanted to give him a chance to live. Too much time has been wasted.” Parents said in court that "letting go" is the most difficult decision they have ever made.