Skip to content
646 269 0773|alita@globalbioethics.org
facebooktwitterlinkedin
Global Bioethics Initiative (GBI) Logo Global Bioethics Initiative (GBI) Logo Global Bioethics Initiative (GBI) Logo
  • Home
  • About
  • Staff
    • Founders
    • Board of Directors
    • Advisory Board
    • Visiting Scholars
    • Student Interns
    • Volunteers
  • Events
  • Resources
    • COVID-19
  • Internships
  • Contact
  • Donate
Previous Next
  • View Larger Image

Charlie Gard: Judge Allows Parents of Terminally Ill Infant to Consult American Doctor

A London High Court judge has ruled that terminally ill infant Charlie Gard can be examined by a doctor from the United States, amidst his parents’ battle to pursue experimental therapy abroad instead of the terminated life support prescribed by his British doctors. The 11-month-old infant was born with mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes muscular degeneration, respiratory failure and motor skill decline. Most children with the disease fail to live past early childhood; Charlie’s doctors have stated that it will eventually cause his death.

In Britain, courts rather than parents dictate children’s best interests in the face of opposing medical advice. Though Charlie’s doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital were granted court permission in April to remove the infant from life support, Charlie’s parents’ lawyers have since been advocating for the right to maintain life support and pursue alternative therapy despite his doctors’ insistence on the low likelihood of the proposed therapy’s effectiveness, and the high likelihood of lifelong pain with the disease.

The high-profile case has attracted the attention of President Trump, Pope Francis, and anti-abortion groups, all of whom have vocalized their support for Charlie’s parents interests. Several notable medical authorities and colleges have expressed their support for the hospital’s consensus or condemned the politicization of the case. 

Following the judge’s novel permission, a New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center neurologist will evaluate the potential effectiveness of a nucleoside therapy that has successfully prolonged the lifespan of similarly ill patients, though such patients’ conditions have owed to a mutation distinct from Charlie’s.

The case pivots on several bioethical questions that are particularly acute in the context of terminal illness. Where should the law draw the line between parental authority and medical authority? Whose preferences speak for a voiceless patient? At what point is death preferable to probable persisting pain? And how should the risk of acute patient suffering be weighed against the hope of medical revelation?

The answers to these questions as they pertain to Charlie’s case will potentially set stunning bioethical precedent for British courts. The judge expects to issue his final decision at the beginning of next week.

By Ana Lita|2020-04-09T23:43:51+00:00July 14th, 2017|News-Articles|0 Comments

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

facebooktwitterlinkedinreddittumblrpinterestvkEmail

About the Author: Ana Lita

Ana Lita

Related Posts

  • Bioethics Education Summer School Online, July 24 – 29 2023
    Bioethics Education Summer School Online, July 24 – 29 2023
    Gallery

    Bioethics Education Summer School Online, July 24 – 29 2023

  • Prof Cheah Phaik Yeong
    Prof Cheah Phaik Yeong
    Gallery

    Prof Cheah Phaik Yeong

  • 2022 “Bioethics, Wars and Pandemics” Testimonials
    2022 “Bioethics, Wars and Pandemics” Testimonials
    Gallery

    2022 “Bioethics, Wars and Pandemics” Testimonials

  • Bioethics in the Second Cold War by Jonathan D Moreno PhD
    Bioethics in the Second Cold War by Jonathan D Moreno PhD
    Gallery

    Bioethics in the Second Cold War by Jonathan D Moreno PhD

  • Call for Applications: “Bioethics, Wars and Pandemics” Summer School Online (July 18 – 23) 2022
    Call for Applications: “Bioethics, Wars and Pandemics” Summer School Online (July 18 – 23) 2022
    Gallery

    Call for Applications: “Bioethics, Wars and Pandemics” Summer School Online (July 18 – 23) 2022

Leave A Comment Cancel reply

Recent Tweets

Tweets by GBISummerSchool

Find us on Facebook

Copyright 2012 - 2020 Global Bioethics | All Rights Reserved | Powered by Global Innovation Consortium
facebooktwitterlinkedin
Toggle Sliding Bar Area