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Charlie Gard: Parents end legal fight to take sick baby to US for experimental treatment Charlie Gard: Parents end legal fight to take sick baby to US for experimental treatment
(35 minutes later)
Charlie Gard’s parents have said they are ending their legal fight over treatment for their critically ill son. Charlie Gard’s parents are ending their legal fight to take their critically ill son to the US for treatment.
Connie Yates and Chris Gard’s lawyer said the couple had withdrawn their bid to take baby Charlie, who has a genetic disease, to the US to receive experimental nucleoside therapy. Connie Yates and Chris Gard wanted to take baby Charlie, who has a rare genetic disease, across the Atlantic to receive experimental nucleoside therapy.
"It is no longer in Charlie's best interests to pursue this course of treatment," they said in a statement. But they have now decided that "it is no longer in Charlie's best interests to pursue this course of treatment," according to a statement.
The surprise decision follows a long and bitter legal fight from Ms Yates and Mr Gard, whose appeal was rejected by the European Court of Human Rights. Barrister Grant Armstrong told a High Court judge the parents were “extremely distressed” by the results of new medical tests on the 11-month-old.
A fresh High Court hearing of the case, which has caused an international furore with Donald Trump and Pope Francis offering to help baby Charlie, was then held after the possibility of new evidence emerged. He said "window of opportunity has been lost" to help Charlie, as it is best to act as early as possible to treat mitochondrial disease.
The couple's lawyer told the court the parents were "extremely distressed" by the results of a new scan on the 11-month-old. The decision concludes a bitter five-month legal fight from Ms Yates and Mr Gard, whose appeal to give their son treatment was previously rejected by the European Court of Human Rights.
  Doctors at Great Ormond Street in London maintained that it was kinder for the Charlie's life support to be switched off.
More follows… The case caused an international furore, with Donald Trump and Pope Francis offering to help baby Charlie, and a fresh hearing was underway after the possibility of new evidence emerged.
  Charlie, who was born on 4 August 2016, inherited the faulty RRM2B gene, which affects the cells responsible for energy production and respiration, leaving him unable to move or breath without a ventilator.
Ms Yates and Mr Gard said they were aware the case had caused controversy, but now wish to treasure their remaining time with Charlie and asked for all protests to stop.
The judge said no one could begin to understand the parents' agony but they now had to "face reality" that it is in their son's best interests to die.
Ms Yates said she wanted to address Mr Justice Francis at the end of the hearing.