The huge popular pushback against bioethical aggression in the Charlie Gard case — parents told their baby WILL be taken off life support, and NO, they CAN’T obtain another doctor or hospital — seems to be bearing fruit. From the Sky News story:
Great Ormond Street Hospital says “claims of new evidence” in the treatment of Charlie Gard have prompted it to seek a new hearing at the High Court. In a statement, the hospital said: “We have just met with Charlie’s parents to inform them of this decision and will continue to keep them fully appraised of the situation.
“Two international hospitals and their researchers have communicated to us as late as the last 24 hours that they have fresh evidence about their proposed experimental treatment. “And we believe, in common with Charlie’s parents, it is right to explore this evidence.”
The cynic in me worries that the hospital wants to discredit the proposed experimental treatment and/or the ability to move Charlie to a different hospital.
Bad Wesley! That would just be a PR move that would have nothing to do with acting in the “best interests” of Charlie. So let us assume the hospital is acting in good faith until we have reason to believe otherwise.
In any event, it almost surely means the boy’s life support will not be immediately removed.
It is truly heartening that the life of a dying baby can still move the world.