BREAKING: Court allows U.S. doctor to examine Charlie Gard

[TomSea]

BREAKING: Court allows U.S. doctor to examine Charlie Gard
By Cassy Fiano | July 14, 2017 , 12:40pm

The case of 11-month-old Charlie Gard’s fight for life has captivated the world, and his parents may have just received their first glimmer of hope in months. Charlie was placed on life support after he became seriously ill, due to a rare RRM2B mitochondrial depletion syndrome.

Charlie’s parents wanted to take him to the United States for an experimental treatment that they hoped could improve his condition, and they raised more than $1.4 million USD to do so. But the hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, disagreed that the treatment would work, and fought Charlie’s parents. The hospital argued in court that Charlie Gard should be taken off of life support. It became a contentious and internationally watched court battle, with Charlie’s parents losing appeal after appeal until the European Court of Human Rights finally ruled against them, siding with the hospital and determining that Charlie should be taken off of life support.

In a final slap in the face, the hospital refused to let Charlie’s parents take him home to die.

Immediately, international outrage surrounded the decision. President Trump issued a statement saying that the United States would be “delighted” to help Charlie Gard. A Vatican children’s hospital likewise offered to take Charlie and provide him with any necessary treatment. United States lawmakers even introduced a bill that would make Charlie and his parents United States citizens.


More: https://www.liveaction.org/news/us-doctor-examine-charlie-gard/

Seems like a big development in the story.

Still, seems like an incremental improvement on the previous situation. That's the way these things go unfortunately.

[Smokin Joe]

Considering they were just going to pull the plug, this is a big development, and much depends on the results of the doctor's examination. 

[TomSea]

Charlie Gard Controversy: Why a Baby's Head Size Matters
By Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer | July 14, 2017 11:26am ET

Charlie Gard Controversy: Why a Baby's Head Size Matters
Charlie Gard, an infant in Britain, has a rare condition that affects the cell's mitochondria, which generate energy. He cannot breathe on his own, and is on life support.
Credit: Charliegardsfight/Facebook

In a court hearing on Thursday (July 13), the parents of Charlie Gard, the critically ill baby in Britain, were at odds with their son's hospital over a seemly straightforward fact: The size of their baby's head. By why is head size such an important metric for infants' health, and how difficult is it to measure?

Charlie's parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, are engaged in a legal battle over treatment for their son, who was born with a rare genetic condition that usually results in death in the first few months of life. The 11-month-old cannot breathe on his own, has seizures and is blind and deaf. His parents want to take Charlie to the United States for an experimental treatment, but his doctors have disagreed, saying that the treatment would not help and would only extend Charlie's suffering.

Now, the High Court in London, which previously ruled in favor of the hospital, is deciding whether to reopen the case on the grounds of new evidence.

Continued: https://www.livescience.com/59800-charlie-gard-infant-head-size.html

Sad, maybe the head is not growing normally.  I don't know what a proper response to this could be. Rather damning by itself, but one doesn't want to just give up hope.  Not my field of knowledge.