Posted on 08/10/2017 9:42:05 AM PDT by Morgana
FULL TITLE: Charlie Gards Parents on His Final Moments: He Opened His Eyes and Looked at Us and Then Closed Them
For the first time, Charlie Gards parents shared details this week about their last moments with their son before he died.
The British infant died on July 28 after his life support was removed, following a lengthy court battle between his parents and hospital. He would have turned 1 year old on Aug. 4.
His mother, Connie Yates, said Charlie opened his eyes in the last few minutes of his life and looked at her and Chris Gard, his father, before he died, according to the Inquisitor.
Charlie opened his eyes and looked at us one last time and closed them before he passed away, Yates said. We were warned it might take five or six minutes. But it took 12 until his heart stopped beating.
His father said Charlie kept fighting for his life all the way up until he died.
It was typical of our little fighter, our warrior, to keep fighting until the very end, Gard said.
Heres more from the report:
Some family members had remained at the hospital for months, rarely leaving the boys side. After his death, Connie reached out to the many supporters to let them know of Charlies passing.
Click here to sign up for pro-life news alerts from LifeNews.com
[Pro-life advocate] Patrick Mahoney, a preacher from the United States who traveled to London to be with the family, was among those who received word immediately after Charlie died.
I do know that he passed very quickly. I was heartbroken because I know how much they loved Charlie, Mahoney said (via the Sun). I cried for Connie and Chris for their heroic fight and for their son.
The family said Charlie will be buried with his favorite stuffed animals, and the money raised for his medical care will be used to start a charity to help other children with rare diseases.
Charlie suffered from a rare mitochondrial disease and brain damage. He was at the center of a massive international debate after the hospital refused to allow an experimental treatment to help him and also refused to transfer him to another hospital that would allow the treatment.
His parents fought persistently to take Charlie to the United States for an experimental treatment. Yates and Gard said they knew the chance of the experimental treatment working was slim about 10 percent, but they wanted to try anyway for Charlies sake.
However, the courts and hospital refused to allow them to transfer their son to another hospital. About a month ago, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the hospital can remove Charlies life support and allow him to die.
Questions remain about whether Charlie could have benefited from the experimental treatment, had it not been delayed for months during the legal battle. The court battle began in March.
U.S. neurologist Dr. Michio Hirano, an expert in the field, previously said Charlie had an 11 percent to 56 percent chance of benefiting from the experimental treatment. However, when Hirano and a group of doctors examined Charlie in late July, they said he no longer had a chance of benefiting from the treatment.
After Hirano gave his final opinion, Charlies parents decided to end the legal battle to get their son experimental treatment. Based on the new evidence, the couple said Charlies condition had deteriorated too much and there no longer was any hope of the experimental treatment working.
Last weekend, the news broke that Charlie had died after his life support was removed. Leading pro-life advocates mourned Charlies death saying it is a very concerning harbinger of things to come.
After Charlies death, his parents spent the weekend mourning with their family planning their sons funeral, according to The Sun.
We should be planning Charlies first birthday but instead were planning his funeral, his mother said.
Despite all of his problems, Charlies parents and millions like them believe that Charlie is a valuable, living human being who should be given a chance to live.
Leading pro-life advocates helped Charlies parents fight for his life. Pope Francis and President Donald Trump also expressed support for the sick infant.
Charlies parents brought Terri Schiavos brother Bobby Schindler to London to help them fight for care for their son. Schindler spoke with LifeNews exclusively about their invitation.
Schindler told LifeNews: The critical issue here is not a political one, but the simple notion that families know what is best for their loved ones.
So sad.
Couldn’t get past any lines after ‘he opened his eyes and looked at his parents, then closed them.’
Too tough to read, and I am fairly tough emotionally too.
As for the UK government choosing innocent’s life to take, shame on you all. There is a special place in Hell for you and those who damage innocence through murder and exploitation.
This whole thing has had me sad is why I’ve been offline for a while. Needed time.
Rest assured am in no ways done heaping contempt on the people who did this to Charlie.
My heart is broken!!! Evil, Satan and Big Brother have won. But.....Charlie is in the ever loving, gracious, adoring hands of his Father in Heaven, God Almighty and his blessed son, Jesus Christ, forever. God bless Pope, Francis & POTUS, Donald J. Trump.
There is no way anyone but his parents can describe how their heart was broken at the moment of his death. Too bad it wasn’t some off spring of someone in the “parliament”, so they too might realize how devastating the loss of that little child was.
Blessings of God maketh Rich and addeth no sorrows, gift from the Lord
God Bless Charlie Gard and his parents.
Such human emotion is not a significant factor in death-panel deliberations.
Our prays.
I understand completely. I just sent you a FReepmail, that somehow turned into a rant. I should probably post it publicly, for the benefit of those who still don’t get it.
So sad. Any decent person with basic human compassion would be deeply disturbed by what was done to Charlie and his parents.
Maybe that’s why liberal progressives are so ecstatic that he’s dead.
Thank you, Morgana and BykrBayb. I’ve been overwhelmed with guests and other stuff, no time to post or even barely read. Thank you for all this. I will have some time in a couple of days I hope.
I think God allowed Charlie to connect with his parents.
Thanks for the ping. Terribly sad.
Yes, it is. I can’t imagine the grief his parents are faced with. This is a tragedy for all mankind.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.