ARE HOSPITALS AND COURTS PLAYING GOD?
by Sharon Rondeau
(Jul. 10, 2017) — 12:33 PM EDT – In a tweet just moments ago, the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, who is advocating for life for a British 11-month-old child with a rare genetic condition, tweeted that a “significant victory” was had in a court hearing on Monday afternoon which resulted in the scheduling of a “full hearing” on Thursday.
Charlie is reportedly one of only 16 children in the world diagnosed with mitochondrial depletion syndrome, which causes muscle weakness and reportedly injures the brain.
His parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, wish to take him to the U.S. for an experimental treatment, but the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) has recently declared that he cannot be moved.
The baby remains on life support, although British papers reported that it would be removed on June 30.
However, new “evidence” said to have been presented by medical experts from around the world caused the hospital to rethink its position that no further treatment would help and provide the new information to the London “high court” for a decision.
The mainstream media has described Charlie as “terminally ill,” but Yates and Gard believe that treatment could make a difference as indicated in a tweet Yates sent from her account last week.
On Sunday, Charlie’s parents delivered a petition with 350,000 signatures to GOSH advocating that the child be allowed to receive the experimental treatment.
Gard and Yates have raised approximately $1.7 million USD through GoFundMe with the intent to bring their son to the United States. Late last week, two congressmen proposed making Charlie and his parents permanent U.S. residents to facilitate his treatment.
“Every human life has dignity,” the two congressmen said in a public statement of support for the child.
The New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center has offered to admit Charlie on an emergency basis following President Donald Trump’s tweet indicating that his country would be “delighted” to help him if possible.
The Vatican’s Bambino Gesu Hospital also offered its services to Charlie.
Contrary to the claims of attorneys for GOSH, Yates maintains that Charlie is not suffering in his present condition and that the experimental therapy has an approximately 10% likelihood of delivering an improvement.