Oliver Gard was born on the day after what would have been his brother Charlie’s fourth birthday
The mother of terminally ill Charlie Gard has given birth to a baby boy the day after the fourth anniversary of Charlie’s birth.
In 2017 parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates lost their final legal bid to take their son to the US for treatment.
Their battle attracted worldwide attention and drew comments from Donald Trump and Pope Francis.
The parents said they felt “very blessed” to have another child, Oliver, after losing “poor little Charlie”.
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Charlie Gard’s rare disease left him unable to cry
“As soon as I found out I was pregnant I felt happier, Ms Yates told BBC Breakfast. “Like I could smile again,” she added.
“I think before, I would plaster a smile on and say ‘yeah I am okay’ all the time. But now I feel I can smile and mean it.”
Charlie was thought to be one of 16 children in the world to have mitochondrial depletion syndrome – a rare genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness and brain damage.
‘Instant’ love
Great Ormond Street doctors said Charlie could not see, hear, move, cry or swallow and had irreversible brain damage.
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Connie Yates and Chris Gard raised more than £1.3m for experimental treatment for Charlie
They argued in court that he should be allowed to die with dignity, but Charlie’s parents fought for him to be given an experimental treatment in the US.
Following a High Court ruling Charlie was moved to a hospice where he died in July 2017.
After the birth of his second son Mr Gard said: “We will always live the ‘what if Charlie was given the treatment’.
“After I lost Charlie I didn’t think I could love another boy like I did Charlie. So when he [Oliver] was born a lot of it was relief, because I felt like I did with Charlie and just this instant rush of love.”
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