Charlie’s Parents Ask to Bring Him Home for Final Days; Decision to Come Tomorrow

Charlie Gard’s parents want to bring him home so they can have “a few days of tranquility outside the hospital,” BBC reported. It’s the London couple’s last wish in a drawn out legal battle, which all but ended Monday when Chris Gard and Connie Yates withdrew their plea to take their 11-month-old to the U.S. 

Charlie has severe mitochondrial depletion syndrome and cannot move or breathe on his own. For months, Gard and Yates have been fighting in court for the right to take Charlie to the U.S. According to Dr. Michio Hirano of New York, an experimental treatment may have helped Charlie. In July, Hirano said new evidence suggested there was at least a 10 percent chance of the treatment helping. But recent medical tests revealed Charlie’s muscles had atrophied beyond the point of repair. 

On Monday his parents announced their plan to take Charlie off his ventilator, since there is no hope of improvement. He would be 1-year-old on August 4, but “unfortunately won’t make his first birthday,” Gard said. Yates appeared in court Tuesday with their lawyer, Grant Armstrong, to ask if Charlie can die at home.

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), which has been housing Charlie since October, argued Tuesday that bringing Charlie home would be extremely difficult. He is dependent on a ventilator as well as other equipment. He must be under constant observation of a specially trained nurse, with a specialized doctor on call. So far no doctor is willing to give Charlie such care at home, even for a short time. There were also concerns that moving Charlie, who is currently stable, could trigger more health problems for him. 

GOSH presented the option of a hospice. Armstrong called the hospice the second-best option.

Judge Nicholas Francis at the London High Court said he would prefer if Gard and Yates and the hospital can come to an agreement about Charlie’s last days without court intervention. Nevertheless, a final decision about the time and place of Charlie’s passing will be made Wednesday, according to Americans United for Life’s Catherine Glenn Foster, who live-tweeted the hearing.