Parents Of Dying British Infant, Charlie Gard, Finally End Legal Fight To Keep Him Alive

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Parents Of Dying British Infant, Charlie Gard, Finally End Legal Fight To Keep Him Alive

Max Dunham/Associated Press

After a bitter five-month legal battle to get their son treatment for a rare, incurable genetic condition, Connie Yates and Chris Gard have given up the fight.

Connie Yates and Chris Gard released a statement through their lawyer confirming that the couple have withdrawn their bid to take little Charlie to America for experimental neucleoside therapy.

"It is no longer in Charlie's best interests to pursue this course of treatment," said the couple in a statement.

The little boy, who was born on 4 August 2016  has a rare, genetic defect in his cells. His diagnosis of infantile onset encephalomyopathic mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDDS) is incurable, untreatable, and fatal.

Just one week earlier, the U.S. Congress granted little Charlie and his parents permanent residents of the United States - an act that they had hoped would save his life.

Learn what caused Charlie's parents to have a change of heart and what will happen next on the next page.

After battling against the highest courts in the land, Charlie Gard's parents have made the difficult decision to follow through with doctors' recommendations to remove their son from life-support and transition him to palliative care.

One of the deciding factors for their change of heart has come from the disappointing MRI scan results of Charlie's brain.

Dr. Michio Hirano, the U.S. neurologist who offered to treat the baby has now withdrawn his offer after seeing the results of a new MRI scan last week.

Grant Armstrong, a lawyer representing Chris Gard and Connie Yates told the British High Court that "the parents' worst fears have been confirmed...time has run out" for baby Charlie.

The BBC reports that the window of opportunity to treat Charlie has closed and that doctors familiar with the case believe it is better to allow the little boy to die with dignity.

Charlie's parents are prepared to remove their baby from life support and transition him to palliative care. Connie Yates and Chris Gard have stated that they would establish a foundation so that Charlie's voice "continues to be heard."

The couple raised £1.3M in donations to take the 11-month-old abroad for treatment.

Now, according to Armstrong, the heartbroken parents "wish to treasure their remaining time with Charlie, however short that may be."

[h/t CBC  / BBC / The Independent]