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| Charlie Gard's parents condemn abuse levelled at hospital staff | Charlie Gard's parents condemn abuse levelled at hospital staff |
| (6 months later) | |
| Couple say they have also faced backlash over legal case, after hospital reveals staff and patients have been threatened | |
| Matthew Taylor | |
| Sun 23 Jul 2017 19.01 BST | |
| Last modified on Mon 27 Nov 2017 19.40 GMT | |
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| The parents of critically ill baby Charlie Gard have condemned the abuse and death threats levelled at doctors and hospital staff where he is being treated, but said they have also faced an online backlash. | The parents of critically ill baby Charlie Gard have condemned the abuse and death threats levelled at doctors and hospital staff where he is being treated, but said they have also faced an online backlash. |
| Connie Yates and Chris Gard, who have been involved in a lengthy legal battle over their son’s treatment, said they have faced online abuse after Great Ormond Street hospital (Gosh) revealed the extent of the threats its staff and patients had faced on Saturday. | Connie Yates and Chris Gard, who have been involved in a lengthy legal battle over their son’s treatment, said they have faced online abuse after Great Ormond Street hospital (Gosh) revealed the extent of the threats its staff and patients had faced on Saturday. |
| Speaking on Sunday, Yates said she and Gard “do not and have not ever condoned any threatening or abusive remarks” towards hospital staff. She added that the couple had also faced a backlash. | Speaking on Sunday, Yates said she and Gard “do not and have not ever condoned any threatening or abusive remarks” towards hospital staff. She added that the couple had also faced a backlash. |
| Charlie has a very rare mitochondrial disease caused by a genetic defect inherited from his parents. The official diagnosis is infantile onset encephalomyopathic mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome, referred to generally as “MDDS”. | Charlie has a very rare mitochondrial disease caused by a genetic defect inherited from his parents. The official diagnosis is infantile onset encephalomyopathic mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome, referred to generally as “MDDS”. |
| Mitochondria supply energy to the cells in the human body. Mitochondrial failure leads to cellular injury and cell death. When multiple cells fail, the body’s organs are damaged and shut down. These diseases are usually fatal and kill children, although sometimes they don’t show up until adulthood. Where they don’t kill, they cause serious permanent brain damage. | Mitochondria supply energy to the cells in the human body. Mitochondrial failure leads to cellular injury and cell death. When multiple cells fail, the body’s organs are damaged and shut down. These diseases are usually fatal and kill children, although sometimes they don’t show up until adulthood. Where they don’t kill, they cause serious permanent brain damage. |
| Charlie is in intensive care at Great Ormond Street hospital in London, the leading children’s hospital in the UK. Life support machines are keeping him alive. The hospital says that he has severe brain damage, cannot move or breathe by himself, is deaf and has epilepsy. It says his heart, liver and kidneys are also affected. His eyelids cannot stay open and because of the weakness of the muscles, his eyes point in different directions and the damage to the brain will not allow his sight to develop. | Charlie is in intensive care at Great Ormond Street hospital in London, the leading children’s hospital in the UK. Life support machines are keeping him alive. The hospital says that he has severe brain damage, cannot move or breathe by himself, is deaf and has epilepsy. It says his heart, liver and kidneys are also affected. His eyelids cannot stay open and because of the weakness of the muscles, his eyes point in different directions and the damage to the brain will not allow his sight to develop. |
| Before a key week in the legal case regarding Charlie, Yates said she wished the hospital had “asked the public not to say anything hurtful to us as well as their doctors and other members of staff”. | Before a key week in the legal case regarding Charlie, Yates said she wished the hospital had “asked the public not to say anything hurtful to us as well as their doctors and other members of staff”. |
| She told Sky: “Chris and I are just ordinary parents with a very sick baby and we simply have his best interests at heart. | She told Sky: “Chris and I are just ordinary parents with a very sick baby and we simply have his best interests at heart. |
| “Despite conflicting issues, we have always had the utmost respect for all the staff who work tirelessly at Great Ormond Street hospital and the very difficult jobs they do every day.” | “Despite conflicting issues, we have always had the utmost respect for all the staff who work tirelessly at Great Ormond Street hospital and the very difficult jobs they do every day.” |
| The case has attracted attention from around the world. On Sunday a small group of about 20 activists supporting the couple held a press conference and a prayer vigil outside the high court in London. | The case has attracted attention from around the world. On Sunday a small group of about 20 activists supporting the couple held a press conference and a prayer vigil outside the high court in London. |
| They condemned the abuse of doctors. Medical staff have been bombarded with thousands of violent threats and abuse over the case. | They condemned the abuse of doctors. Medical staff have been bombarded with thousands of violent threats and abuse over the case. |
| Hospital employees have faced abuse in the street and families visiting their sick children had also been “harassed and discomfited”, said the chair of Gosh staff. | Hospital employees have faced abuse in the street and families visiting their sick children had also been “harassed and discomfited”, said the chair of Gosh staff. |
| On Friday Charlie’s father shouted “evil” after a lawyer representing the hospital told the high court that a new scan on Charlie made for “sad reading”. | On Friday Charlie’s father shouted “evil” after a lawyer representing the hospital told the high court that a new scan on Charlie made for “sad reading”. |
| Yates and Gard were hoping the scan would support their case that, contrary to what doctors at the hospital say, their son is not brain damaged and would be receptive to experimental treatment in the US. The court heard that they had not yet seen the report. | Yates and Gard were hoping the scan would support their case that, contrary to what doctors at the hospital say, their son is not brain damaged and would be receptive to experimental treatment in the US. The court heard that they had not yet seen the report. |
| The the protracted legal battle between Charlie’s parents and Gosh centres around the hospital’s role in the treatment of the infant. Doctors are seeking permission to turn off his life-support machine. | The the protracted legal battle between Charlie’s parents and Gosh centres around the hospital’s role in the treatment of the infant. Doctors are seeking permission to turn off his life-support machine. |
| Charlie’s parents have asked judges to rule that the son, who suffers from a rare genetic condition and has brain damage, should be allowed to undergo a therapy trial in New York. | Charlie’s parents have asked judges to rule that the son, who suffers from a rare genetic condition and has brain damage, should be allowed to undergo a therapy trial in New York. |
| Doctors at Gosh say the therapy is experimental and will not help. They say life support treatment should stop and Charlie should be allowed to die with dignity. | Doctors at Gosh say the therapy is experimental and will not help. They say life support treatment should stop and Charlie should be allowed to die with dignity. |
| The child’s parents have already lost battles in the high court, court of appeal and supreme court. They have also failed to persuade the European court of human rights to intervene. | The child’s parents have already lost battles in the high court, court of appeal and supreme court. They have also failed to persuade the European court of human rights to intervene. |
| But the couple say there is new evidence and have asked Mr Justice Francis, who in April ruled in favour of Gosh, to change his mind. | But the couple say there is new evidence and have asked Mr Justice Francis, who in April ruled in favour of Gosh, to change his mind. |
| Francis said he would not rerun the case but would consider any “new material”. | Francis said he would not rerun the case but would consider any “new material”. |
| The case continues at the high court on Monday and is due to last for two days. | The case continues at the high court on Monday and is due to last for two days. |
| Charlie Gard | |
| Hospitals | |
| Children | |
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