Charlie Gard’s Parents Make Agonizing Decision to Turn Off Life Support

The whole world has been following the heart-wrenching story of 11-month-old Charlie Gard from England. The infant was born in August and 10 weeks later, tested positive for an extremely rare form of mitochondrial depletion syndrome.

MORE: Caring for a child with SMA when they have a cold.

The parents have been locked in a bitter High-Court battle with the world famous Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. According to the Daily Mail, doctors wanted to take Charlie off life support, even though his parents had located specialist doctors in the U.S. who may have been able to help their son.

Charlie has received support from all over the world, including offers to help from high-profile figures like the Pope and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The High Court was due to rule on whether Charlie would be allowed to fly to the U.S. for treatment following two days of evidence from medical experts on both sides of the Atlantic, but court was adjourned after half a day as the couple came to the decision that Charlie had undergone too much brain damage for any experimental therapy to make a difference in his young life.

While the couple acknowledged that the therapy would come too late for their son, they were keen to say that they would continue fighting for other ill children who were in need of life-saving treatment.

MORE: How group therapy can benefit parents of children with SMA.

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