Who is Charlie Gard, what is the disease he suffers from and what will the High Court decide today?

It has been a heartbreaking legal battle that has captured international attention and drawn offers of support from Donald Trump and the Pope.

Now, the parents of terminally-ill baby Charlie Gard are preparing for another legal battle with doctors at the UK's most famous children's hospital.

Chris Gard and Connie Yates want a judge to rule today that the 10-month-old, who suffers from a rare genetic condition and has brain damage, should be allowed to undergo a therapy trial in the United States.

Here is everything you need to know about the case.

Who is Charlie Gard?

Charlie is a 10-month old patient in intensive care at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London.

On August 4, 2016, he was born a "perfectly healthy" baby at full term and at a "healthy weight". After about a month, however,  Charlie's parents noticed that he was less able to lift his head and support himself than other babies of a similar age.

Chris Gard and Connie Yates with their son Charlie Credit: PA

Doctors discovered he had a rare inherited disease - infantile onset encephalomyopathy mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDDS).

The condition causes progressive muscle weakness and brain damage.

In October, after he had became lethargic and his breathing shallow, he was transferred to the Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Why was there a legal fight? 

Charlie's parents wanted to take him to see specialists in the USA, who had offered an experimental therapy called nucleoside. 

A crowdfunding page was set up in January to help finance the therapy.

Ribbons and hearts tied to trees outside Great Ormond Street Hospital in London by well wishers backing a campaign to allow terminally ill baby Charlie Gard to be treated in America Credit: PA

But doctors at GOSH concluded that the experimental treatment, which is not designed to be curative, would not improve Charlie’s quality of life. 

When parents do not agree about a child’s future treatment, it is standard legal process to ask the courts to make a decision. This is what happened in Charlie’s case.

What were the stages of the legal battle?

March 3: Great Ormond Street bosses asked Mr Justice Francis to rule that life support treatment should stop.

The judge was told that Charlie could only breathe through a ventilator and was fed through a tube.

April 11: Mr Justice Francis said doctors could stop providing life-support treatment after analysing the case at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London

He concluded that life-support treatment should end and said a move to a palliative care regime would be in Charlie's best interests. 

Connie Yates leaves the Supreme Court after a panel of three Supreme Court justices on dismissed the couple's latest challenge Credit: PA

May 3: Charlie's parents then asked Court of Appeal judges to consider the case.

May 23: After analysing the case, three Court of Appeal judges dismissed the couple's appeal two days later. 

June 8: Charlie's parents then lost their fight in the Supreme Court. Charlie's mother broke down in tears and screamed as justices announced their decision and was led from the court by lawyers.

Chris Gard leaves the Supreme Court after it ruled in favour of Great Ormond Street Hospital Credit: PA

June 20:  Judges in the European Court of Human Rights started to analyse the case after lawyers representing Charlie's parents make written submissions. 

A European Court of Human Rights spokeswoman said the case would get "priority". "In light of the exceptional circumstances of this case, the court has already accorded it priority and will treat the application with the utmost urgency," she added.

If we can help little #CharlieGard, as per our friends in the U.K. and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2017

Article source:yahoo.com