Parents of Charlie Gard Have 2 Days to Prove Treatments Exist

New turn after Charlie Gard was scheduled to be taken off life support
By Gina Carey,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 10, 2017 5:41 PM CDT
Judge Gives 48 Hours to Prove Treatments Will Save Sick Baby
A British court will assess new evidence Monday July 10, 2017, in the case of 11-month-old Charlie Gard as his mother pleaded with judges to allow the terminally ill infant to receive experimental treatment for his rare genetic disease, mitochondrial depletion syndrome.   (Family of Charlie Gard via AP)

The fight over Charlie Gard’s life support has captured headlines for months, and now a new turn in the terminally ill 11-month-old’s story. A UK judge has granted Charlie’s parents two days to turn in evidence that experimental treatments will help their son, reports the Guardian. The decision comes days after Charlie’s hospital announced it would not take him off life support in light of new claims from the medical community of potential treatments and a New York hospital agreed to evaluate him if legal hurdles were cleared. In a packed courtroom occasionally filled with outbursts from Charlie’s parents, the justice who heard preliminary arguments Monday said he would be “delighted” if new materials brought forth could change his April decision that denied Charlie permission to travel to the US. He also noted that the case needs “drastic” evidence in order for him to do so.

According to CNN, Charlie’s parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard, have been given a hard Wednesday deadline to provide the sourced evidence, including the date it was produced and how it could affect their son’s condition. The family’s lawyer claims a US doctor says one experimental treatment gives Charlie, conservatively, a 10% chance of recovery, but no documentation was provided at the preliminary hearing. “Ten percent. You would if it was your son, wouldn’t you?” his mother interjected. The UK's High Court will reconvene Thursday to review the information. Charlie was born with a rare genetic condition called mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome that has caused severe brain damage. Charlie’s story has resonated across the world, with 350,000 people signing a petition demanding he be allowed treatment, and everyone from the pope to President Trump weighing in on his fate. (More Charlie Gard stories.)

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