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This Article is From Jul 28, 2017

Terminally-Ill UK Baby Charlie Gard Dies

Charlie required a ventilator to breathe and was unable to see, hear or swallow.

Terminally-Ill UK Baby Charlie Gard Dies
Charlie Gard was born with a rare form of mitochondrial disease that causes progressive muscle weakness
London: Charlie Gard, a British baby who became the subject of a bitter dispute between his parents and doctors over whether he should be taken to the United States for experimental treatment, has died, the Daily Mail newspaper's website said on Friday.

The 11-month-old baby suffered from an extremely rare genetic condition causing progressive brain damage and muscle weakness, and his parents' long struggle to save him drew an international outpouring of sympathy.

"Our beautiful little boy has gone, we are so proud of you Charlie," Connie Yates, the baby's mother, was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

Yates and the baby's father Chris Gard had wanted Charlie to undergo a treatment that has never been tried on anyone with his condition before, against the advice of doctors at his London hospital who said it would not benefit him and would prolong his suffering.

Charlie required a ventilator to breathe and was unable to see, hear or swallow.

The case drew comment from U.S. President Donald Trump, who tweeted on July 3 that "we would be delighted" to help Charlie, and from Pope Francis, who called for the parents to be allowed to do everything possible to treat their child.

(Reporting by William James and David Milliken; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Gareth Jones)
© Thomson Reuters 2017


(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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