UK turns down Vatican’s offer to help Charlie Gard

The Vatican children’s hospital this week offered to take in 10-month-old Charlie Gard, a baby in the U.K. with a rare genetic condition preventing him from moving or breathing on his own. But British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has declined the Vatican hospital’s invitation after Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano called to officially offer Italy’s help.

European courts have ruled that Charlie must be taken off life support and die in the hospital, not even allowing his parents to take him home. Liberty McArtor from The Stream joined “The Morning Blaze with Doc Thompson” to talk about the latest update in the tragic Charlie Gard story.

Doc Thompson protested the idea that the government can decide what happens to your child based on what courts think is best. “It’s irrelevant,” he said. “It’s none of [the government’s] business. It's the parents'.”

Charlie’s parents have raised more than $1 million through crowdfunding to take the baby to the U.S. for a last-ditch effort to save his life with experimental medical treatment. President Donald Trump has also offered U.S. assistance for the child.

Because Charlie’s story has become international news, the stakes are higher for the universal health care system in the U.K. If he can be treated elsewhere, Britain’s medical system will look bad for trying to prevent him from getting care.

“Imagine if it worked. That would make a lot of people question government-run health care that is basically telling a boy that’s not even a year old that he doesn’t have the right to live or to even try to live anymore,” McArtor said.

To see more from Doc, visit his channel on TheBlaze and listen live to “The Morning Blaze with Doc Thompson” weekdays 6–9 a.m. ET, only on TheBlaze Radio Network.