The Latest: Hearing on Charlie Gard case to resume Wednesday

The Latest: Hearing on Charlie Gard case to resume Wednesday


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LONDON (AP) — The Latest on the court hearing on critically ill British baby Charlie Gard (all times local):

5:55 p.m.

A High Court hearing in London has ended for the day without resolving the question of where critically ill baby Charlie Gard will spend his final hours.

Judge Nicholas Francis said Tuesday that the hearing would resume Wednesday and that he expects to issue a ruling later that day.

Charlie's parents want to take their son home to die. But the hospital where the child is now has raised concerns, saying there are many practical issues to be resolved and that home care would be difficult.

Great Ormond Street Hospital officials say the baby must be kept safe and free of excessive pain and allowed to die with dignity. The possibility of hospice care has been raised.

Charlie's parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, on Monday dropped their months-long court fight to bring their son to the United States for experimental treatment after tests showed he has irreversible muscle damage.

The baby has a rare genetic condition and will die once his life support is removed.

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3:45 p.m.

A Vatican pediatric hospital says experimental therapy "could have been an opportunity" to help Charlie Gard, but it was too late to start care for the critically ill baby.

Bambino Gesu hospital had offered to treat the 11-month-old while his parents were trying to persuade British courts to tell a London hospital to release the boy for treatment in the United States.

The hospital says in a statement that it's not in a position to know what might have happened six months ago and that it cannot know if Charlie would have responded to the experimental therapy.

Hospital director Mariella Enoc tells reporters at the hospital that they did a clinical evaluation and offered medical assistance free of charge.

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3:10 p.m.

A judge says it would be best if the parents of Charlie Gard and the hospital treating the critically ill baby can agree on where he should spend his final hours.

The two sides are back in court as the parents seek to take Charlie home to die. Their lawyer accuses Great Ormond Street Hospital of putting obstacles in their way.

The hospital says it wants to resolve the issue through a mediator, but the parents have declined. It says it would like to fulfill the parents' wishes, but must also take the baby's best interests into account.

Judge Nicholas Francis says he will make a ruling if needed but would prefer for the two sides to reach agreement.

Charlie has a rare genetic condition and will die once his life support is removed.

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2:30 p.m.

A lawyer for the parents of baby Charlie Gard has told a judge their last wish is to take their critically ill son home to die.

Grant Armstrong said Chris Gard and Connie Yates have held discussions with Great Ormond Street Hospital about sending Charlie home, but that there were obstacles.

Yates was in court for the hearing before judge Nicholas Francis.

On Monday the couple abandoned their months-long battle to take Charlie to the United States for experimental treatment.

Charlie suffers from mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a rare genetic disease, and cannot breathe unassisted. His parents accept that his condition has deteriorated to the point where the experimental treatment would not work.

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12:45 p.m.

Lawyers in the case involving critically ill infant Charlie Gard are to returning to Britain's High Court for a hearing, a day after the baby's parents said they were dropping their long legal battle to get him experimental treatment.

The subject of Tuesday's hearing was not immediately clear.

Attorneys representing the 11-month-old's parents and Great Ormond Street Hospital will appear before Judge Nicholas Francis, who had presided over the case revolving around the family's wish to seek medical treatment in the United States. The London hospital opposed that, saying it would not help and cause Charlie suffering.

Parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates abandoned their bid for the experimental treatment on Monday, saying that time had run out for the child suffering from mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a rare genetic disease.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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