25 Jul Charlie Gard’s Parents End Legal Battle To Keep Charlie Alive

The case of Charlie Gard is one of the most divisive medical stories ever to make headlines and has brought the controversial subject of euthanasia to the forefront of society’s mind. It addresses many of the underlying anxieties we all bear about palliative care, assisted suicide, the agency of parents to overrule doctors and the sanctity of human life.

The situation is this: Charlie Gard is a baby who suffers from the rare genetic condition mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome. Currently there is no treatment for this defect, which adversely affects the tissue in the muscle, liver and brain of the sufferer.

Most people born with mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome do not live to survive early childhood. By December 2016 Charlie was deaf, had lost the ability to breathe unassisted, and could not move or open his eyes on his own. His heart and kidneys were failing, and doctors are still uncertain whether or not he is capable of feeling pain.

Medical staff working at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London came to believe that keeping the braindead child alive was not in his best interest, and applied to withdraw all further treatment of Charlie apart from palliative care. This meant that the hospital would no longer keep Charlie on ventilation. His parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, vehemently objected to this decision – and campaigned to keep Charlie on life support.

Chris and Connie intended to travel to the United States to find an experimental treatment for their son, despite the fact that doctors and judges have claimed that it would be a futile gesture. However, tragically for those who wished to preserve the child’s life, Charlie’s parents have today announced their intention to end their legal battle to keep Charlie alive.

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