The parents of terminally ill British baby Charlie Gard will hold discussions with his London hospital about how he should be allowed to die, their lawyer, Grant Armstrong, said on Monday.
Armstrong, speaking in London’s High Court, said the parents had dropped their legal fight for Charlie to continue to receive treatment because scans showed that the child suffered irreversible damage.
“For Charlie, it’s too late, time has run out, ” Reuters reported.
“Irreversible muscular damage has been done and the treatment can no longer be a success.
“Charlie has waited patiently for treatment, due to delay, that window of opportunity has been lost,” he said.
Citizens have taken to the social media on the issue.
Janice tweeted that Sadly #CharlieGard Parents have been hateful towards staff at GOSH. Others have jumped on bandwagon. Other parents at GOSH are not happy.
Conor Sullivan said that Charlie Gard wouldn’t even be alive for his parents to complain about his treatment if not for GOST hospital doctors & nurses. Perspective.
Liz Wheeler in her tweet said that Charlie Gard’s parents say “too late” to try therapy to save him.
“If UK government hadnt stood in the way, Charlie might live. Tragic,” she said.
“Charlie Gard’s parents have issued a statement saying “it is no longer in Charlie’s best interests to pursue this course of treatment,” Sky news said.
Charlie, whose first birthday is August 4, was born with a genetic mutation called mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. It leads to weakened muscles and organ dysfunction, among other symptoms. The prognosis is poor for most patients. Charlie is unable to breathe or move on his own.
Great Ormond Street Hospital — where Charlie has been since October 2016 — received permission from the European Court of Human Rights in June to discontinue life support.
But his parents wanted to bring him to the US for an experimental therapy called nucleoside bypass therapy. It has never been used to treat Charlie’s form of mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome.
The doctors at GOSH have argued that every medical option has already been considered and treatment in another country would not be in Charlie’s best interest.
