Judge: Baby Charlie Gard will end life in hospice, not home
LONDON — Critically ill baby Charlie Gard will be transferred to a hospice and taken off life support unless his parents and a hospital agree on a plan that could potentially keep the child alive for a bit longer, a British judge ruled Wednesday.
High Court judge Nicholas Francis gave 11-month-old Charlie’s parents and the hospital that has been treating him until noon Thursday to come to terms on an end-of-life care plan for the infant’s final hours or days.
The baby suffers from a rare genetic disease, mitochondrial depletion syndrome, which has caused brain damage and left him unable to breathe unaided. Recent tests found Charlie has irreversible muscular damage.
“It is in Charlie’s best interests to be moved to a hospice and for him at that point to be moved to a palliative care regime only,” the judge said as a medical and legal battle that has drawn international attention nears a wrenching conclusion.