Despite big offers, little has changed for baby Charlie Gard

This is an undated hand out photo of Chris Gard and Connie Yates with their son Charlie Gard provided by the family, at Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London. The president of the United States has offered to help. The pope is willing to have the Vatican hospital take him in. Some 1.3 million pounds ($1.68 million) have been raised to help him leave Britain for treatment. But little has changed Tuesday July 4, 2017, for Charlie Gard, a terminally-ill British infant suffering from a rare genetic disease that has left him severely brain damaged. (Family of Charlie Gard via AP) This is an undated hand out photo of Chris Gard and Connie Yates with their son Charlie Gard provided by the family, at Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London. The president of the United States has offered to help. The pope is willing to have the Vatican hospital take him in. Some 1.3 million pounds ($1.68 million) have been raised to help him leave Britain for treatment. But little has changed Tuesday July 4, 2017, for Charlie Gard, a terminally-ill British infant suffering from a rare genetic disease that has left him severely brain damaged. (Family of Charlie Gard via AP)

By Associated Press July 4, 2017 3 min read

LONDON (AP) – The president of the United States has offered to help a terminally-ill British baby. The pope has asked for the rights of the parents to be respected on his care. More than 1.3 million pounds ($1.68 million) has been raised to help him travel to America for treatment.

But little has changed for 11-month-old Charlie Gard, a British infant suffering from a rare genetic disease that has left him brain damaged and unable to breathe unaided. President Donald Trump and Pope Francis have put an international spotlight on the case of Charlie, whose parents have lost successive court battles to try to take their son to the United States for an experimental therapy they believe could prolong his life.

On Tuesday, Chris Gard and Connie Yates were spending time with their son before his life-support is turned off.

Judges have backed specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital who say the proposed treatment won’t help Charlie and may cause suffering. Britain’s Supreme Court ruled that it’s in Charlie’s best interests to be allowed to die with dignity.

“The world is watching,” reads the headline across the top of charliesfight.org, the website dedicated to Charlie’s cause. “Two of the most powerful men in the world want to give Charlie Gard his chance.”