Devastated pal of Charlie Gard’s family reveals a heartbreaking text from his mum Connie hours after his death
A PAL of Charlie Gard’s family revealed she got a heartbreaking text from his mum which read: “He’s gone.”
Grieving parents Connie and Chris spent the day at home alone planning Charlie’s funeral after his life support was switched off.
They also want to use £1.3million of donations to fund a campaign which will help prevent other parents suffering a repeat of their own nightmare ordeal.
The family’s spokeswoman Alison Smith-Squire revealed that she burst into tears after Connie broke the news of her baby’s death on Friday.
She said: “Connie, Chris and myself have gone through an extraordinary journey together.
"When Connie WhatsApped me and said, ‘He’s gone’ I wept.”
Connie, 31, and Chris, 33, were mourning their son at home in Bedfont, West London.
A family friend said: “They wanted to gather their thoughts and start the grieving process.
"They have the funeral to plan and they don’t know yet whether they want a private service or something more public.
“They also want to start a charity foundation with money people donated.
"They will be looking to campaign for changes to the legal and health system after their nightmare experience.
"They just wanted to hide away from the world for a day so they could grieve in private."
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Doctors at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital blocked the family’s wish to send him to the US for treatment on his rare genetic condition.
They abandoned a legal fight last week when tests convinced them it was too late for Charlie, who would have been one next Friday.
Devoted family's vital role
“OUR son is currently in intensive care and the hospital want to end care…”
That text sent to me last December was the start of Charlie Gard’s story.
Doctors at Great Ormond Street felt there was nothing they could do. But his devoted parents disagreed.
Connie and Chris are the sweetest, most genuine people I know. To those who criticised them for doing publicity: shame on you.
Their bravery for generously allowing the spotlight on them has raised important issues for us all.
Should parents have more say over their own children? Should a hospital deny a child treatment when a leading institution is offering something which could save their life?
— By Alison Smith-Squire, Family Publicist