Timeline: Parents' battle to save Charlie Gard

Greg Heffer, News Reporter

Charlie Gard is born a "perfectly healthy" baby to parents Chris Gard, a postman, and Connie Yates, both from Bedfont, in west London.

Charlie is taken to hospital at eight weeks old after he begins losing weight and strength, with his parents describing how "none of us have been anywhere near home since".

He is diagnosed with a rare genetic condition at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome causes progressive muscle weakness and brain damage. Charlie is only the 16th person in the world ever to have been diagnosed with the condition.

Both Mr Gard and Ms Yates were found to be carriers of a faulty gene, leading to their son's difficulties.

Charlie spends his first ever Christmas in hospital, with his parents posting touching pictures of the four-month-old dressed in an elf costume in his hospital bed.

Charlie's mother sets up a crowdfunding page after she finds an American doctor willing to offer her son a trial therapy.

Ms Yates says she had spoken to "doctors all over the world" and has endlessly researched a possible cure for Charlie's condition.

The treatment, called nucleoside, had success on children with a similar syndrome but has never been used to treat someone with Charlie's condition.

Charlie's parents reach their initial £1.2m fundraising target - a day before a High Court hearing into their son's case began.

The cash would pay for Charlie's travel by air ambulance to America as well cover the cost of the experimental treatment.

The fundraising appeal attracted the backing of celebrities, with model and heiress Tamara Ecclestone donating £10,000.

Reality TV stars Sam Faiers and Billi Mucklow also supported the cause, along with TV presenter Gaby Roslin and actress Linda Robson.

The target was later upped to £1.3m, with the sum met through donations by more than 83,000 people.

A High Court judge begins to consider whether Charlie's life support machines should be turned off in his best interests, or whether Mr Gard and Ms Yates should be allowed to take their son to America for experimental treatment.

During the course of the hearing, the court hears from the American doctor who had offered the trial therapy and the parents.

Proceedings were halted at one point after Ms Yates broke down while hearing medical evidence about her son's condition. Mr Gard sat in court with his son's toy monkey in the breast pocket of his suit.

He told the judge: "My son is the apple of my eye. I would do anything for him and I just want him to be given a chance, he deserves a chance."

Mr Gard and Ms Yates describe themselves as "devastated" after a High Court judge rules doctors at Great Ormond Street can turn off Charlie's life support machines against his parents' wishes.

Mr Gard screams out "No!" as the ruling is delivered. The couple say they cannot understand why the judge had not "at least given Charlie the chance of treatment".

Mr Justice Francis describes how he made the decision with the "heaviest of hearts" but with "complete conviction" it is in Charlie's best interests.

He praises Mr Gard and Ms Yates for their "dignified" fight on their son's behalf.

Ms Yates reveals how she returned to Great Ormond Street after the ruling and told her son the couple were "sorry that we'd let him down". They vow to appeal against the decision.

Ms Yates says the judge's decision means her parental rights have been "stripped away by strangers".

She tells the Daily Mail: "This isn't about us being selfish, keeping him alive because we can't bear to let him go. It is because if we did not fight for this chance, we will have to live with the 'what if' for ever."

Supporters gather opposite Downing Street to light candles and show their backing for Mr Gard and Ms Yates' campaign.

Their efforts include asking supporters to sign a petition and write letters to the Prime Minister.

More than 110,000 sign the petition while thousands support Charlie's parents on social media accounts set up to highlight their fight.

Ms Yates and Mr Gard's local MP, Ruth Cadbury, speaks in the House of Commons and pleads with the Justice Secretary to intervene.

Three judges at the Court of Appeal uphold the High Court's ruling that Charlie's life support treatment should end.

Mr Gard looks down and shakes his head when the decision is announced, while family members break down in court.

Lord Justice McFarlane praises Charlie's parents, saying: "My heart goes out to them."

Three Supreme Court justices dismiss a further challenge by Charlie's parents - meaning they have exhausted all of their legal avenues in the UK.

Ms Yates screams as the Supreme Court announces they have rejected the couple's bid for a full appeal.

Outside the court, Charlie's mother says: "How can they do this to us? They are lying. Why don't they tell the truth?"

Great Ormond Street are told to keep Charlie on life support for another 24 hours for the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to consider the case.

Judges at the ECHR rule that Charlie should be kept on life support until Monday 19 June at the earliest, giving his parents' lawyers time to submit detailed legal arguments.

After the ruling, the baby's family tweets: "Father's Day will be extra special this year as Chris will get to spend it with the apple of his eye Charlie!!"

Doctors are told by the Supreme Court to continue life support for Charlie for another three weeks in order to give ECHR judges time to analyse the case.

The Strasbourg court says the case will be a "priority".

The last legal avenue for Charlie's parents closes as the ECHR rejects their plea to intervene in the case and endorses the position of Britain's courts.

Great Ormond Street Hospital promises to provide "every possible support" to Mr Gard and Ms Yates and say they will be in "no rush" to change Charlie's care.

Charlie's parents say they have been given more time to form "precious memories" with their son having previously revealed his life support was due to be switched off.

The Pope calls for Charlie's parents to be allowed to "accompany and treat their child until the end".

It appears to mark a reverse of position after the Vatican previously stated the "limitations" of medical science have to be recognised.

On the same day, supporters gather outside Buckingham Palace to protest against the ECHR decision not to intervene.

US President Donald Trump offers his help to Charlie, posting on Twitter that he would be "delighted to do so". Charlie's parents say the support of the Pope and Mr Trump has given them "hope".

Great Ormond Street Hospital says it has "applied to the High Court for a fresh hearing in the case of Charlie Gard in light of claims of new evidence relating to potential treatment for his condition".

Charlie's parents join a demonstration outside the hospital, delivering a petition of more than 350,000 signatures calling on doctors to allow him to go to the US.

A High Court judge asks Charlie's parents to outline any new evidence in their battle to take their son to the US.

Ms Yates pleads with the judge to "please listen to us", while Mr Gard yells across the court room at a barrister: "When are you going to start telling the truth?"

Their lawyer tells the court there is "encouraging" evidence from researchers at the Vatican's children's hospital about an experimental treatment.

Mr Gard and Ms Yates storm out of the High Court hearing, with Charlie's father punching a table and saying: "I thought this was supposed to be independent."

They were angry after apparently being misquoted regarding their son's quality of life.

A judge later apologises to the parents in court.

An American neurosurgeon who has offered to treat Charlie meets the terminally ill baby at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where he is given full access to medical records.

He is among a team of specialists meeting Charlie.

A new scan on Charlie makes for "sad reading", a lawyer representing Great Ormond Street Hospital tells the High Court.

Ms Yates breaks down in tears and reveals she has yet to see the details of the scan.

Mr Gard looks directly at the lawyer and says "evil" before Charlie's parents walk out the hearing.

The lawyer apologises, adding: "I didn't mean to cause distress".

Staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital have received death threats, it emerges.

The hospital says it has contacted police following a "shocking and disgraceful tide" of hostility, with thousands of abusive messages sent to doctors and nurses.

Charlie's parents say they have the "utmost respect" for Great Ormond Street Hospital staff, but reveal they are suffering a "backlash" following the hospital's statement.

Charlie's parents withdraw their application to take their son out of the UK for treatment, ending their legal battle.

Their lawyer says "time had run out" for the 11-month-old.

The parents say their son could have been a "normal, healthy boy" if their attempts to access experimental therapy had not been blocked by the courts.

Mr Gard says: "This is about a sweet, gorgeous, innocent little boy who was born with a rare disease who had a real, genuine chance at life and a family who loved him so very dearly - and that's why we fought so hard for him."

He went on: "Mummy and Daddy love you so much Charlie, we always have and we always will and we are so sorry that we couldn't save you.

"We had the chance but we weren't allowed to give you that chance. Sweet dreams baby. Sleep tight our beautiful little boy."

Charlie's mother returns to the High Court in an attempt to convince a judge to allow her son to return home to die.

Great Ormond Street Hospital opposes the plans, saying the child cannot get the specialised care he needs there and is at risk of a "distressing" death.

Mr Justice Francis says he believes Charlie only has two options - Great Ormond Street Hospital or a hospice.

Lawyer Grant Armstrong, representing Charlie's parents, tells the High Court the couple want to privately fund treatment at a hospice, where the baby would stay on life support for a number of days.

Hospital bosses describe the parents' plans as not "in any way viable" and say Charlie should stay at a hospice for a shorter period.

Mr Justice Francis rules that if no agreement is made by noon on 27 July, Charlie will be taken to a hospice to die.

The judge orders Charlie's transfer to a hospice, where his artificial ventilation will be removed after a "period" of time.

Ms Yates says Great Ormond Street Hospital has "denied us our final wish" and Mr Justice Francis' ruling "gives us very little time with our son".

Great Ormond Street Hospital says it regrets that its "profound and heartfelt" differences with Charlie's parents played out in court.

Charlie dies in the hospice where he was receiving palliative care, one week short of his first birthday.

Connie Yates, Charlie's mother, said in a statement: "Our beautiful little boy has gone, we are so proud of you Charlie".

GOSH said: "Everyone at Great Ormond Street Hospital sends their heartfelt condolences to Charlie's parents and loved-ones at this very sad time.