The parents of critically ill Charlie Gard have decided to end their legal fight to bring their critically ill son to the United States for treatment.
According to the Independent, the lawyer representing the boy’s parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, said the couple was “extremely distressed” by the results of new medical tests on their son and were no longer interested in pursuing the experimental treatment many hoped could bring at least some relief to their son.
“It is no longer in Charlie’s best interests to pursue this course of treatment,” the parents said in a statement.
According to the Daily Mail, during a court appearance today, Grant Armstrong, representing the parents, told High Court judge Mr. Justice Francis: “Poor Charlie. It is too late. The damage has been done. Sadly time has run out. The window of opportunity no longer exists. The parents have taken an extremely hard decision.”
The judge who had been due to decide his fate praised the parents and the “loving care they have given at all times to their wonderful boy Charlie”, adding: “No parents could have done more for their child.”
Their decision comes at the end of a five-month legal battle to win the right to try the experimental treatments, known as nucleoside therapy. An expert from the U.S., Dr. Michio Hirano of Columbia University Medical Center, traveled to the UK last week to personally assess Charlie’s condition and determine if the therapy had any chance of helping him.
Charlie suffers from a rare form of mitochondrial depletion syndrome that has left him unable to move, hear, see or breathe on his own. He has been on life support at the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London where doctors have maintained that he should be allowed to die.
The parents believe Charlie could have been helped if they had acted sooner but the window of opportunity has now passed.
According to the Independent, Ms. Yates and Mr. Gard said told supporters they now wish to treasure their remaining time with Charlie and asked for all protests to stop.
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