President Trump and Pope Francis Advocate on Behalf of Child to be Taken off Life Support
- Updated Jul 06, 2017
After a European high court ordered life support removed from an 11-month old baby boy with a serious illness, President Trump and Pope Francis stepped in to offer support to the boy’s parents.
As ChristianHeadlines.com previously reported, Charlie Gard was born with an extremely rare disease called infantile onset encephalomyopathic mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome, known as MDDS. His parents, Connie Yates and Chris Gard wanted to try a new treatment that was available in the U.S., but when the hospital where Charlie had spent his entire life appealed to the legal system, the court ruled that Charlie’s life support could be terminated.
Following the court’s decision, a movement was born to support Charlie’s parents and their decision to seek medical treatment for their son.
Even President Trump and Pope Francis got involved.
"The White House has been in talks with Charlie's family, GOSH (Great Ormond Street Hospital--where Charlie was staying), the UK Government, the Department of Health and the American doctor who wants to treat Charlie,” said a spokesman for the Gard family, according to the Telegraph.
"President Trump has a very good understanding of the whole case and he did not make an off-the-cuff tweet."
According to CNN.com, a Vatican-owned pediatric hospital in Rome has even offered to care for Charlie.
"The Holy Father is following with affection and emotion the situation of little Charlie Gard and expresses his closeness to his parents. He is praying for them, in the hope that their desire to accompany and care for their own child until the end will be respected," the director of the Holy See Press Office, Greg Burke, said in a statement.
Charlie’s mother has said that "The support from the Pope and the president has given us hope. They are traditional men who believe in the family. They believe in our case and understand why we believe it is right to continue fighting so hard to save Charlie."
Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
Publication date: July 6, 2017
