Charlie Gard's parents hoping for 'good news' ahead of hospital meeting
Charlie Gard's parents were due to meet with hospital bosses on Friday to discuss new research that could help their terminally-ill son.
A US hospital has offered to ship an experimental drug to the UK to help treat the 11-month-old and his mother has said new research suggests it would work for Charlie.
Charlie has a rare genetic condition affecting his mitochondria and doctors argued life support should be switched off because there is no chance of his condition improving, with the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court all ruling in favour of the doctors.
Speaking exclusively to ITV's Good Morning Britain, Charlie's mother Connie Yates said she and partner Chris Gard would meet with doctors at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital on Friday to discuss the new research and its implications for their son.
"There’s further scientific research that this medication would work for Charlie," she said.
"We sent them a letter late yesterday saying about this new information and that we think it should be considered, so hopefully we might have a bit of good news later, but we don’t know."
Ms Yates said five doctors in Europe and the US who specialise in Charlie's condition now agree that the experimental treatment could work.
She said there were 18 people on the medication and some had experienced "amazing responses, very quickly".
"There is potential for him to be a completely normal boy, but you don't know until you try," Ms Yates said.
"There’s around a 10% chance of this working for Charlie. I think that’s a good enough chance to take."
The Pope and US President Donald Trump have both offered support to the family, something Ms Yates said had given them hope.
Charlie's mother said he was not "in pain and suffering" and that she would not let it be prolonged if he was.
She described the "absolute living hell" that she and Mr Gard have been through in recent days, having expected their son to die last week.
"You can’t even put it into words, how horrible it is that he’s our own flesh and blood and we don’t have a say in his life," she said.
"We’re not bad parents, we’re there for him all the time, we’re completely devoted to him."
Great Ormond Street Hospital declined to comment in detail on the case, saying in a statement to Good Morning Britain: "All of us at Great Ormond Street Hospital care deeply about Charlie and his family. We would never breach our commitment to any patient’s confidentiality under any circumstances."