'We will make Charlie an American in bid to save his life'

Charlie Gard Picture: Family of Charlie Gard via AP

Charlie Gard Picture: Family of Charlie Gard via AP

Published Jul 9, 2017

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London - Charlie Gard has been handed a new lifeline by US lawmakers who want to grant the terminally ill baby and his parents the right to move to America.

Congressmen in Washington DC propose to hand the Gards permanent residency so they can access potentially life-saving treatment, regardless of the decision of British courts in the controversial case.

High Court judges in London have backed doctors who want to turn off Charlie’s life-support machine.

But it is believed the British court rulings banning Charlie from leaving Great Ormond Street Hospital can be overcome if the 11-month-old baby becomes an American.

Charlie’s family face another gruelling High Court hearing tomorrow after a team of international experts said they had fresh evidence that the boy’s life could be saved by an experimental new drug therapy.

Pope Francis and US President Donald Trump declared their support for Charlie last week. Now Congressmen Brad Wenstrup and Trent Franks will table a bill to the House of Representatives tomorrow to bring Charlie and his family to the US. In a joint statement, they said: ‘Our bill will support Charlie’s parents’ right to choose what is best for their son, by making Charlie a lawful permanent resident in the US in order for him to receive treatments that could save his life.

‘Should this little boy to be ordered to die – because a third party, overriding the wishes of his parents, believes it can conclusively determine that immediate death is what is best for him?’

It comes after a proposal by Pope Francis to give Charlie a Vatican passport so he can be flown there for potentially life-saving treatment.

Doctors finally bowed to global pressure on Friday to give the desperately ill baby another chance.After being handed fresh evidence by seven international experts, Great Ormond Street asked the High Court to reopen the agonising case.

Charlie is bedridden, suffering from encephalomyopathic mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome, a rare genetic condition considered to be terminal.

British judges have ruled there is no evidence a proposed experimental drug therapy will save his life.

But, after a worldwide media storm over the case, international experts presented Charlie’s family with new evidence that gave the baby a much higher chance of survival than previously thought.

It led to Charlie’s doctors on Friday requesting a new High Court hearing to assess whether the boy’s life should be spared.

Charlie’s parents, from Bedfont, West London, are steeling themselves for a long hearing at the High Court on Monday.

Mail On Sunday

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