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The reasons Charlie Gard can't go home to die, according to the hospital.

Doctors caring for Charlie Gard have outlined the reasons they don’t believe the 11-month old should be permitted to die at home. The High Court has also ruled Charlie will spend his final days in hospital.

It comes after the little boy’s parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates dropped the legal battle to save his life on Tuesday. They had been fighting to take Charlie – who suffers a rare mitochondrial disease – from the UK to the US for treatment.

The journey and the treatment were deemed too risky by the doctors caring for Charlie. The British courts, as well as the European Court of Human Rights, agreed.

Today, the final court battle was also lost. The High Court shut down the attempts of Chris and Connie to take their son home to die, The Telegraph reports.

The hospital caring for Charlie - Great Ormond Street Hospital - has received criticism from the public during the ordeal, with staff complaining of harassment and receiving death threats, the BBC reports.

To help the public understand, the doctors caring for Charlie have made public their reasons for fighting to keep Charlie in the hospital for the end of his life.

"The care plan must be safe, it must spare Charlie all pain and it must protect his dignity," the statement, which was submitted to the High Court, reads.

Charlie needs advanced ventilation.

"The key obstacle, and one which the hospital cannot see a way around, is the reality of the invasive ventilation that Charlie requires," the statement reads.

"It requires air to be forced into the lungs. That process and the correct, safe positioning of the tube have to be monitored by an ITU trained nurse at all times, with an ITU doctor on call and close at hand."

Specialised care is required.

"Charlie's care cannot be simplified," the report reads. "It is in Charlie’s best interests, and everybody’s, that the risk of a precipitate, distressing or disordered death is removed so that he may be assured of a peaceful and dignified passing."

He can't be transported.

The statement said the hospital had consulted the Department of Health about transferring Charlie from the hospital to his home.

They were told "it would not be possible to transfer Charlie whilst invasively ventilated for end of life care at home".

What to do for a parent with a child in hospital. Post continues below.

The ventilator will not fit inside the home.

"There are other practical problems," the statement from GOSH reads. "One being that the ventilator does not fit through the front door."

"There are then stairs to negotiate and corners to turn. The physical lay-out of the route between the ambulance on the pavement and their home would require Charlie to be taken off the ventilator and provided with only “hand-bagging” until he was inside."

An alternative.

The hospital has suggested sending Charlie to a hospice, instead. "It would offer the opportunity to create memories and, perhaps, to begin a time of healing," the statement reads.

Charlie's life support will be turned off on July 31, Mirror reports.

"Our son is an absolute warrior. His body heart and soul may soon be gone but his spirit will live on for eternity and it will make a difference to people’s lives for years to come. We will make sure of that," Chris Gard said on Tuesday.

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Top Comments

Amandarose 7 years ago

When we had to turn off my mums life support ( which was not instant death- that took 30 minutes) I wanted some of the unrequited tubes and wires etc taken out. It was a reasonable request and we could have cuddles our mum looking like Mum while she passed. But they wouldn't as she was going to the coroners as she was in a car accident that was blatantly her fault. Ridiculous. I actually found the icu in that Melbourne Hospital full of some inhumane nurses and staff ( door bitch was the worst) along with many others who were lovely.

We can do better with dieing and compassion in these settings. Having said that I agree the hospice option sounds the best here and I feel so sad for this family.


Chelle 7 years ago

distressing or disordered death is removed ... seems a bit late for that