An American doctor offering to treat terminally ill Charlie Gard has told the High Court today (13 July) there is a 10 per cent chance he could improve the baby's condition.
Charlie's Parent, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, are challenging a previous decision by the High Court, upheld on appeal, denying them permission to take their son from Great Ormond Street hospital (GOSH), where he is on life support, to the US for nucleoside therapy. The High Court has been hearing new evidence today and is due to rule on whether Charlie can be given the trial treatment.
The US doctor - who cannot be named for legal reasons - has been giving evidence to the Court via video link. He has agreed to assess Charlie in the UK if the court adjourns.
The judge, Mr Justice Francis, said he wanted to hear what the doctor thought had changed since he gave his ruling in April.
The doctor suggested there was now clinical data not available in April and he thought the therapy was "worth trying". Using nucleoside treatment - which is a therapy rather than a cure - he estimated there would be a 10 per cent chance of "meaningful success" for Charlie.
The High Court also heard arguments about the child's head size, which UK doctors said indicated of lack of brain function, because the baby's skull had not grown in three months. Mr Francis said it was "absurd" that a dispute over his head size was "undermining" the case.
The lawyer for Charlie's parents told the court Ms Yates had regularly measured her son's head and disagreed with the hospital's measurements.
Charlie's parents had walked out of Thursday's hearing without warning shortly before lunch. The judge adjourned the hearing shortly after the couple became distressed.
Both returned to court for the afternoon session.
Loading ...
