Charlie Gard's parents: Great Ormond Street 'denied us our final wish'
Connie Yates says she is "shocked" that she and her partner Chris Gard cannot have "extra time" with their terminally ill baby.
Friday 28 July 2017 18:24, UK
Charlie Gard's parents say their "final wish" has been denied by Great Ormond Street Hospital, after a judge ordered their child's transfer to a hospice.
Connie Yates and Chris Gard tried to secure their son several days of life support treatment in a hospice - but the move was opposed by the hospital which said their plans were not "in any way viable".
High Court judge Mr Justice Francis has ruled that Charlie will be moved from Great Ormond Street (GOSH) to a hospice, where his artificial ventilation will be removed after a "period" of time.
He said the terminally ill child will "inevitably" die soon after.
In a statement, Ms Yates said GOSH had "denied us our final wish".
She said: "We just want some peace with our son, no hospital, no lawyers, no courts, no media, just quality time with Charlie away from everything to say goodbye to him in the most loving way.
"Most people won't ever have to go through what we have been through, we've had no control over our son's life and no control over our son's death."
Ms Yates added that two doctors and a team of intensive care nurses had offered to provide care for Charlie, but Mr Justice Francis "ordered against what we have arranged and has agreed to what GOSH asked".
She said: "This subsequently gives us very little time with our son.
"I'm not allowed to disclose the time or place but I'm shocked that after all we've been through they won't allow us this extra time."
Earlier, GOSH said it regretted that its "profound and heartfelt" differences with Charlie's parents had played out in court.
It said: "Sadly, as the judge has now ruled, there is simply no way that Charlie, a patient with such severe and complex needs, can spend any significant time outside of an intensive care environment safely.
"The risk of an unplanned and chaotic end to Charlie's life is an unthinkable outcome for all concerned and would rob his parents of precious last moments with him."
It added: "Every single one of us wishes there could have been a less tragic outcome."
The latest legal row began when GOSH said it was not practical to get the equipment the child needs into the family home, as his ventilator is unable to fit through the front door.
Charlie suffers from a rare genetic condition which causes progressive muscle weakness, and he also has brain damage.
He requires invasive ventilation to breathe and cannot see, hear or swallow.
Born a "perfectly healthy" baby on 4 August last year, Charlie's fight against terminal illness has made headlines across the globe.
After finding an American doctor willing to offer the child experimental treatment, Ms Yates set up a crowdfunding page in January and raised £1.3m.
However, in April, Mr Justice Francis agreed with GOSH the experimental treatment was "very unlikely" to work and ruled doctors could withdraw all treatment except end of life care in the "best interests" of Charlie.
On Monday, Ms Yates and Mr Gard to take him out of the UK for treatment.