10% is still a chance and if he’s not in pain, why not go for it? Anyway, it should be their choice.
LONDON – It was a rollercoaster day for the parents of Charlie Gard.
Chris Gard and Connie Yates, the parents of the 11-month-old boy suffering from a rare and almost always terminal genetic disorder, walked out of a British courtroom Thursday morning after arguing with the judge, but returned later in the day.
Charlie’s parents appeared anxious when they arrived at the Royal Courts of Justice for a hearing that may prove to be their last chance to convince the judge to allow them to take their boy out of the U.K. for experimental treatment. The family believes experimental treatment available in the U.S. and Italy for mitochondrial depletion syndrome has a 10 percent chance of improving his quality of life and reducing the brain damage the illness has already inflicted on the boy.
During the hearing, Chris Gard punched a table, while his wife said: “We said he’s not in suffering and in pain. If he was we wouldn’t be up here fighting for that.”
Then, they walked out.
The couple returned after a break. The judge offered a reassuring word, acknowledging that the situation was desperate.”I understand you walking out,” he said.