US hospital ‘offers to treat Charlie Gard for free’ after Donald Trump says he’d be ‘delighted to help’ terminally ill baby
A US hospital has offered to treat terminally ill Charlie Gard for FREE - just hours after President Donald Trump said he would be "delighted" to help the tot.
A European court has ruled that little Charlie - suffering with mitochondrial depletion syndrome - should have his life support machine switched off.
But one kind-hearted group of doctors Stateside has pledged to provide free care for little Charlie.
Earlier billionaire US President had joined the battle to help the ten-month-old undergo an experimental treatment in America.
He wrote: "If we can help little #CharlieGard, as per our friends in the U.K. and the Pope, we would be delighted to do so."
And it is understood that an American hospital has offered to treat the sick tot for free if he is allowed to cross the Atlantic.
A Twitter account linked to the campaign to save the youngster replied: "Thanks @realdonaldtrump for your support - @teresamay do the right thing and #savecharliegard."
Trump's words come just one day after Pope Francis added his voice to calls for Charlie to be given one final shot at life.
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The pontiff said Charlie's parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates should be allowed to "accompany and treat their child until the end".
A White House spokesperson said: “Upon learning of baby Charlie Gard's situation, President Trump has offered to help the family in this heartbreaking situation.
“Although the President himself has not spoken to the family, he does not want to pressure them in any way.
“Members of the administration have spoken to the family in calls facilitated by the British government.
“The President is just trying to be helpful if at all possible.
“Due to legal issues, we cannot confirm the name of doctor or hospital where the baby could be treated in the United States.”
Charlie suffers from a rare genetic condition and is unable to breathe unaided.
Last week, his parents lost a legal battle to take him to the United States for trial therapy.
They had raised more than £1.3million for the treatment but are now understood to be considering using the cash to set up a charity.
It comes after the couple, from Bedfont, West London, learned they had lost their final legal battle after Europe’s top court said it would not intervene in the case.
They had pursued their case through the courts in the UK over the past three months, culminating in a decision by the European Court of Human Rights.
Specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London, where terminally-ill Charlie is being cared for, said therapy proposed by a US doctor was experimental and wouldn’t help.
They said life-support treatment for the youngster should stop.
Charlie’s parents had asked European court judges in Strasbourg, France, to consider their claims after judges in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in London ruled in favour of GOSH doctors.
But Strasbourg judges refused to intervene.
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