Hospital: Charlie Gard Must Die Here, Can’t Go Home

First, Great Britain’s health care system forbid Charlie Gard’s parents from taking him to the U.S. for treatment. Then, on Tuesday, Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) argued in court that Gard’s parents should not be allowed to take him home so he could die at home.

GOSH argued that Charlie should go to a hospice or stay at the hospital because his ventilator won’t fit through the front door and doctors feared he could suffer pain or a “distressing or disordered death,” according to The Daily Mail.

On Monday, Charlie’s parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, announced they had finally ended their legal fight to save their son from being removed from his ventilator, which GOSH had fought for.

Rev. Patrick Mahoney, who has consulted with Charlie’s parents, said in a Facebook Live video, “If Great Ormond Street Hospital had allowed Charlie’s parents, which they maintained all along, to go to New York to seek this cutting-edge medical treatment, Charlie most likely would be greatly improved right now.”

He added, “Great Ormond Street Hospital, which is considered one of the finest children’s hospitals in the world, just said in open court they did not want to transport Charlie home to his parents to spend his final hours with them.”

But on Wednesday, Charlie’s parents accepted the hospital’s recommendation, with a proposal from the family that Charlie die in a hospice after a few days.