Judge Rules: Now Charlie Gard's Parents Aren't Allowed to Even Decide Where Their Son Will Die

News Staff : Jul 27, 2017
CBN News

Just heartbreaking, cruel and, well, perhaps "evil" qualifies.

(England)—[CBN News] The deadline has passed for the parents of Charlie Gard to reach an agreement with the Great Ormond Street Hospital on an end-of-life plan for the infant. (Photo: Charlie's parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard/AP/via Fox News)

A London judge ruled that both parties had until noon Thursday to agree on a treatment for the infant's final days.

The parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, had hoped to bring Charlie home to die, but the hospital rejected their wishes. So the judge had said he would be moved to hospice care if an agreement could not be reached.

Now, they are asking for a team of specialist doctors so they can spend more time with their son before his life-support is switched off. 

High Court Judge Nicholas Francis said the parents and doctors have to agree on hospice care plans for Charlie.

"Unless by 12pm tomorrow the parents and guardian and Great Ormond Street hospital can agree alternative arrangement, Charlie will be transferred to a hospice and extubated shortly thereafter," Francis said. "It is in Charlie's best interests to be moved to a hospice and for him at that point to be moved to a palliative care regime only."

Charlie's mother, Connie Yates, left the courtroom in distress before the judge gave his ruling. 

"What if it was your child?" Yates cried. As she left, she said: "I hope you are happy with yourselves."

The 11-month-old was born with mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a rare genetic disease which has caused brain damage and left the child unable to breathe on his own.

President Trump and Pope Francis helped to bring international attention to Charlie's story and his parents' battle to save his life. 

Gard and Yates fought for months to persuade Great Ormond Street Hospital to let Charlie come to the United States for experimental treatment. (Photo: Feature World/via Facebook)

They gave up that fight Monday saying the window of opportunity to save him had closed, because too much time had been lost due to the legal battle. 

CNN reports that an attorney for Charlie's parents said they objected to the "brutality" of moving Charlie to hospice, only to have him die shortly after.

Charlie's parents claim the hospital put up "obstacle after obstacle" to their plan to allow Charlie to die at home.

His parents are hoping for a week with their son in hospice care to say goodbye. Charlie's first birthday is next week.