Donations continue to pour in for terminally-ill Charlie Gard despite judges ruling

Latest: Judges in the European Court of Human Rights have rejected a plea from the parents of terminally-ill baby Charlie Gard to intervene in the case.

Donations continue to pour in for terminally-ill Charlie Gard despite judges ruling

Update 22:32pm: Well-wishers are continuing to donate to an internet fund Charlie Gard's parents launched in a bid to pay for treatment in America.

The couple have raised nearly £1.4 million, after launching an appeal on the GoFundMe website four months ago, and people continued to give money despite European Court of Human Rights judges ruling they could not intervene.

A well-wisher called Mike Dutton donated £10 more than two hours after Strasbourg judges announced their decision.

He posted a message saying: "I'm absolutely gutted on your behalf that the system wasn't prepared to give you the opportunity to follow your wishes for Charlie.

"I hope you take some comfort from your courageous actions in taking this public and fighting in such a dignified manner. I hope you take even more comfort from all the good you will do in the coming months and years in Charlie's name. What an amazing legacy for an amazing little boy to leave behind. God bless x. "

Charlie's parents said they needed £1.2 million.

They reached their target shortly before a High Court trial began in April, and more than 83,000 people have donated money.

Charlie's mother, Connie Yates, has indicated - on the GoFundMe website - what will happen to the money raised if they cannot take him to the US and life support treatment ends.

"A few people have asked us what we'll do if we don't win the court case,'' she has said.

"We have thought long and hard about it and we would set up a charity for mitochondrial depletion syndromes (there are others that are more common than Charlie's specific gene).

''We'd like to save other babies and children because these medications have been proven to work and we honestly have so much belief in them.

"If Charlie doesn't get this chance, we will make sure that other innocent babies and children will be saved.

"We would like some of it to go to research at the specific hospital that is willing to treat Charlie, and the rest will be available to help other families to get the medication that their children desperately need.

"We hope that you can all support us in making treatments available so that nobody else ever has to go through what we have.''

She has thanked ''everyone who has supported us'', said their faith in humanity had been restored and added: ''We will always be eternally grateful, whatever the outcome for Charlie."

A GoFundMe spokesman said it will have discussions with Charlie's parents about what will happen to money raised if life-support treatment is withdrawn.

He added on Tuesday: "When the parents are ready to discuss the next steps, our team will be on hand to help."

A statement on the GoFundMe website said a 5% fee was taken from each donation.

"While it is free to create and share your online fundraising campaign, GoFundMe will deduct a 5% fee from each donation that you receive,'' said the statement.

"Since our fee is deducted automatically, you will never need to worry about being billed or owing us any money.

"A small processing fee of about 3% will also be deducted from each donation."

Earlier: Judges in the European Court of Human Rights have rejected a plea from the parents of terminally-ill baby Charlie Gard to intervene in the case.

Chris Gard and Connie Yates, who are in their 30s and come from Bedfont, west London, wanted 10-month-old Charlie Gard, who suffers from a rare genetic condition and has brain damage, to undergo a therapy trial in America.

Specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, where Charlie is being cared for, say the therapy proposed by a doctor in the US is experimental and will not help the child.

After losing legal battles in the UK courts the couple then took their fight to the Strasbourg judges.

On Tuesday the ECHR announced the application to the court by the parents was "inadmissible" and said their decision was "final".

In a statement, the European Court announced that it had by a majority "endorsed in substance" the approach by the UK courts "and thus declared the application inadmissible".

It added that "consequently", the court "also considered that it was appropriate to lift the interim measure" which had required doctors to continue providing life support treatment to Charlie.

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