The parents of terminally ill baby Charlie Gard have ended their legal challenge to take him to the US for experimental treatment. A lawyer representing Chris Gard and Connie Yates told the High Court “time had run out” for the baby. Mr Gard said it meant his “sweet, gorgeous, innocent little boy” will not reach his first birthday on 4 August.
“To let our beautiful little Charlie go” is “the hardest thing we’ll ever have to do”, his mother said.
Charlie’s parents said they made the decision because a US doctor had told them it was now too late to give Charlie nucleoside therapy.
“We only wanted to give him a chance of life,” Ms Yates told the court in a statement.”A whole lot of time has been wasted,” she added.”We are sorry we could not save you.”
Mr Gard and Ms Yates, from Bedfont, west London, now hoped to establish a foundation to ensure Charlie’s voice “continues to be heard”.In a statement outside court, Mr Gard said Charlie was an “absolute warrior” and they “could not be prouder of him.”
“Charlie has had a greater impact on and touched more people in this world in his 11 months than many people do in a lifetime.”We could not have more love and pride for our beautiful boy.”We are now going to spend our last precious moments with our son Charlie, who unfortunately won’t make his first birthday in just under two weeks’ time.”
They had raised £1.3m in donations to take their son abroad for treatment.Charlie has encephalomyopathic mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. He has brain damage and cannot move his arms or legs.