Charlie Gard's parents have taken the fight to save their son's life all the way up to the Supreme Court, but the final ruling did not go in their favor. Now, in a final bid to save their son, they've reached out to experts in the United States for help.
The 11-month-old boy was diagnosed with a rare, genetic defect in his cells. His diagnosis of infantile onset encephalomyopathic mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDDS) is incurable, untreatable, and fatal.
Charlie's parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates insist that he is more alert than doctors would have the court believe. However, his MDDS has reached the terminal phase. Without the life support, Charlie would die.
Turn the page to learn more about whose side the British High Courts took and what the U.S. Congress just did to change the outcome...
For months, Charlie's parents have been battling against the decision to stop life support made by doctors at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Although Charlie is alive, doctors argue that keeping him on life support is only prolonging the little boy's agony.
The MDDS is starving his muscles, kidneys and brain of energy. It is causing frequent seizures, resulting in extensive, irreversible brain damage.
In Britain, the court intervenes when there is a dispute between doctors and families over treatment of the patient. It is up to judges to decide what is best for little Charlie.
Recently, the U.K. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the doctor's decision to end life support. This decision supported the decisions from the British Court of Appeal and the Family Division of the High court of Justice.
All of whom gave the hospital permission to "withdraw all treatment, save for palliative care, to permit Charlie to die with dignity."
But the international attention brought on by the Pope and the President of the United States gave Charlie's parents newfound hope that something could be done to save their boy.
Find out how the United States Congress might have changed Charlie's fate on the next page.
Just this week, the U.S. Congress has granted legal and permanent U.S. residence to terminally ill baby Charlie Gard and his family, so that they may fly him to America for treatment.
Republican U.S. Representative for Nebraska, Jeff Fortenberry recently tweeted: 'We just passed amendment that grants permanent resident status to #CharlieGard and family so Charlie can get the medical treatment he needs."
Dr. Hirano from Columbia University Medical Center has offered to try an experimental treatment on Charlie's brain disorder, that has never been tested on any human or animal. The doctor told the High Court that there 'small but significant' chance that Charlie could improve with the treatment.
However, even with U.S. permanent resident status, the baby boy is still a subject of a the High Court order and it would be illegal for Charlie to travel to America without the judge's permission.
While his parents recently shared a picture of little Charlie 'looking' at a toy, insisting that his condition is not as bad as doctors portray it to be. Specialists say that he is blind, deaf, unable to move and so badly brain-damaged that it is cruel to let him live any longer.
For now, whether Charlie can travel to the United States for an experimental treatment remains entirely up to the High Court's decision.
Should he go to the United States for a treatment that has an 11 to 56 percent chance of improvement, or should he be allowed to finally rest in peace? What do you think?
[h/t MacLean's / Daily Mail / Inspired]
