Court Sentences Eight-Week-Old Baby To Death

A European Human Rights Court has given its verdict on a case of human rights that will compel a couple to allow their sick baby to die .

The parents of the baby Chris Gard and Connie Yates have been in a long legal battle to save their baby who is suffering from a serious genetic illness.

The baby is currently on life support while treatment options were being considered .
At 8 weeks old, Charlie was diagnosed with mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome and is considered to be only one of 16 babies worldwide with this disease .

His condition is progressive and currently incurable and eventually fatal .
Meanwhile , doctors are developing treatments for the various mitochondrial conditions, including the nucleoside treatment Charlie ’ s parents have been fighting for .

Charlie ’ s parents prayed the court to determine if they, as parents , have the right to continue to provide medical treatments for their son or if he should be allowed to die.

The parents of the 10 - months old baby want the court to let them use a potentially life- saving drug from the U. S . on their son .
They believed that the drug (which is still experimental ), would help their son ’ s genetic condition rather than allow him to die as doctors have recommended .

However , a June 27 ruling of the court held that the application by the parents was ‘ inadmissible ’ .
The court said that the baby was being exposed to continued pain , suffering and distress in pursuit of treatments that were unsure .

It added that any additional treatment would continue to cause harm to the baby stressing that its ruling is “ Final” .
“ The EHRC also removed the interim measure to keep Charlie ’ s life support in place.

A spokesman for Great Ormond Street Hospital , where Charlie has been treated since October , has told the parents that there is “ no rush ” to remove Charlie ’ s life support.

The spokesman said that any future treatment will involve careful planning and discussion . ”
The hospital has said that though there is a deadline in place for Charlie , they wouldn ’ t have to follow it exactly. The discussion and planning will take some days to work out .

Meanwhile , Charlie ’ s parents have so far raised over £ 1 . 3 million through a GoFundMe account for his treatment .
With the ruling of the court , the parents are unsure what they want to do with the money.

They plan to donate some to the U. S . hospital willing to treat Charlie , while the rest will be put into a charity for other children with similar mitochondrial conditions “so that nobody else ever has to go through what we have . ”

She said , “ We ’ d like to save other babies and children because these medications have been proven to work and we honestly have so much belief in them. ”

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