(Facebook)During a second day of hearings, Justice Nicholas Francis, the judge presiding over the case of Charlie Gard, an 11 month old baby who is dying of mitochondrial depletion syndrome, has agreed to allow a New York doctor to examine the child to assess the efficacy of further treatment before rendering his decision on July 25.
The Mirror is reporting on a second day of hearings in the case, which is currently taking place in the Family Division of the High Court in London.
During these proceedings, the doctor from New York, now known as Dr. Michio Hirano of Columbia University Medical Center, agreed to come to London to examine the child.
Hirano, whose areas of expertise is in mitochondrial diseases and genetic myopathies, is scheduled to visit Great Ormond Street Hospital on Monday and Tuesday to examine the child and meet with other clinicians who are treating Charlie.
Michio Hirano, MDAlthough the judge in the case previously ordered journalists not to name Dr. Hirano for fear of the pressure that could be put upon him due to the high profile nature of the Gard case, Dr. Hirano has now said he has no objection to being named.
During yesterday’s proceedings, Dr. Hirano said he believed an experimental treatment he has developed has between a 11 and 56 percent chance of providing “meaningful improvement” for the child.
Charlie, who is currently on life support, is unable to move, see, or hear. The state of his brain function is still being determined.
News of this second chance has heartened people around the world who have been watching the case with great interest.
"We are seeing miracle after miracle in this case," Rev. Patrick Mahoney said of the court proceedings in a Facebook live video. "Ten days ago, virtually no one thought that Charlie Gard would live another day. The court had set the date for the ventilator to be pulled off."
However, he said, "God intervened.”
Meanwhile, Justice Francis has set July 25 as the date for rendering his decision as to whether or not Charlie’s parents will be permitted to seek further treatment, or if the hospital should discontinue his life support.
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