Charlie Gard Wins a Victory, Judge Rejects Hospital’s Request to Deny New Hearing

International   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jul 10, 2017   |   3:05PM   |   Washington, DC

Leading pro-life advocates who are helping the family of Charlie Gard described today’s decision by a judge as a victory for his family.

As LifeNews reported earlier today, the judge in the case set up another hearing on Thursday to determine whether or not Charlie can receive an experimental treatment to help him with his very rare medical condition. But as one pro-life campaigner tells LifeNews, this was a huge victory for Charlie and his parents.

Reverend Patrick Mahoney said he is delighted that a British High Court denied Great Ormond Street’s Hospital’s request to deny a hearing allowing new evidence in the Charlie Gard case.

Mahoney, director of the Christian defense coalition and pastor of church on the hill in Washington DC has been with Charlie’s family and was in the courtroom for the hearing today.

“Today was a significant victory for Charlie Gard and his parents as the British high court ruled against the great Ormond Street hospital and allowed a hearing to move forward on Thursday presenting new evidence in Charlie’s case,” he told LifeNews.

He added: “If this new evidence is accepted, Charlie will be able to receive experimental treatment in the United States or other countries. Our prayers are with Charlie and his parents and we would hope the court would respect The wishes and rights of his parents to move forward with medical care that will improve the health of their son.”

Americans United for Life President & CEO Catherine Glenn Foster is also in England helping Charlie’s family.

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She told LifeNews: “Great Ormond Street Hospital asked for Mr. Justice Francis to affirm his prior, April ruling, and the Justice denied them. The book is not closed on Charlie Gard, and little Charlie still has a chance. International attention has been focused on this brave couple, Connie and Chris, fighting for the life of their son, and I will remain in London calling for the rights of parents to make decisions for their children’s care, and for hospital officials to open their doors and let Charlie’s parents seek groundbreaking new treatment for their son.”

“I am Charlie. We all are Charlie. He could be my child, or your child, or any one of us,” said Foster. “The life and death struggle facing Charlie’s parents could happen to anyone, which is why we are fighting for their right to determine their son’s welfare.”

Foster continued: “As a mother, I could not stand by as Charlie’s parents so bravely fought to seek life-saving care for their son,” said Foster. “Here we have an institution created to serve the most vulnerable in our society and hired to care for little Charlie, and yet is battling his parents to strip them all of their rights. No matter how diverse and pluralistic we are as a culture, there is one thing that unites us all: the family. We all want a better future for our children, and that’s why families worldwide are responding so strongly to Connie and Chris’s fight to give Charlie a chance.”

Charlie suffers from a rare genetic disorder, mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome, which can cause weakened muscles and organ dysfunction, among other symptoms, and though his parents have raised money for additional treatment and hospitals around the world have volunteered their services, hospital officials have refused to allow the infant to be released to his parents.