Judge rules doctors can pull life support for sick baby Charlie
Despite parents raising $2 million for treatment.
By Livia Gamble
April 12 2017
Parents who raised $2 million for their sick baby have had his fate handed to them by a High Court judge.
British couple, Connie Yates and Chris Gard were waiting for approval to take their 8-month-old son Charlie, who suffers from mitochondrial depletion syndrome – a condition which is typically fatal in infancy - to the US for treatment.
Charlie is currently being kept alive in intensive care in London, but the hospital says it has exhausted all treatment options and recommend he be moved to palliative care.
Mr Justice Francis made the ruling after a three-day hearing and found,“It is in Charlie's best interests that I accede to these applications and rule that Great Ormond Street may lawfully withdraw all treatment save for palliative care to permit Charlie to die with dignity,' he said.
In January this year, the parents started a Go Fund Me page to raise money for Charlie’s treatment, raising a staggering $2 million.
"If we don’t raise enough money then we won’t be able to go to America for treatment and Charlie will die!" they wrote on the page.
Justice Francis said he did not come to the decision easily.
The Telegraph, London reports Chris and Connie have three weeks to lodge an appeal while Charlie remains on life support.
Their solicitor, Laura Hobey-Hamsher, said on their behalf: "They are struggling to understand why the court has not at least given Charlie the chance of treatment in America. The medical evidence is complex, and the treatment offered, potentially ground-breaking."