London hospital refuses to let Charlie Gard travel to Rome to continue treatment

A hospital in London has denied permission to let a pediatric facility in Rome to provide care for Charlie Gard, a terminally-ill baby who suffers from a rare genetic disease.

Mariella Enoc, president of the Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome, said that she recently spoke to Charlie's mother, Connie Yates, who told her that London's Great Ormond Street Hospital would not allow the baby to travel to Rome.

"The hospital told us that, for legal reasons, the baby can't be transferred to us. That's one more sad note," Enoc said, according to Crux.

"In life, there are gray zones. In this case, it's very difficult to say if this is suffering by therapy or not. In this gray zone, I stand by the judgment and do the only thing I can, which is to say, we'll welcome the family and accompany them as the pope asked," she added.

Charlie, who suffers from a rare genetic condition that causes brain damage and muscle weakness, was scheduled to be taken off life support on Friday, but doctors at the London hospital extended the deadline at the parents' request.

Yates, and Charlie's father, Chris Gard, had lost legal battles in U.K. courts and the European Court of Human Rights to allow them to take the baby to the U.S. for an experimental treatment.

On Monday, the Bambino Gesù Hospital stated that Enoc had asked the facility's health director to contact Great Ormond Street Hospital to verify if the baby can be transferred to Rome.

Vatican's Secretary of State, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said on Tuesday that the London hospital's refusal may be due to "a problem of nationality." The cardinal further noted that "the Holy See will do anything possible, and if it can help, it will."

Pope Francis had expressed hope that the parents' desire to "to accompany and care for their own child to the end" will be respected.

U.S President Donald Trump had stated that the U.S. would be "delighted" to help the baby, and White House officials have reportedly spoken with the family to offer support.

After Trump expressed his intention to help the family, an unnamed hospital in the U.S. reportedly offered to provide Charlie with a new experimental treatment at no cost if he is allowed to travel. Charlie's parents have raised more than £1.3 million (US $1.68 million) to take the baby to the U.S. for treatment.