Our beautiful little boy has gone': Charlie Gard has died, family says

Charlie Gard died Friday, the Daily Mail reported.

Charlie’s mother, Connie Yates, told the Daily Mail: “Our beautiful little boy has gone, we are so proud of you Charlie.”

Charlie, who was 11 months old, suffered from mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a rare genetic disease. Earlier this week, Yates and Charlie’s father Chris Gard ended their legal battle with the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London seeking permission to take their son to the United States for an experimental treatment after an American doctor said it was too late to treat him.

The hospital has sought for months to remove Charlie's life support so he could "die with dignity."

After Yates and Gard ended their appeal to bring Charlie to the United States, they requested that they be allowed to take him home. The hospital objected, arguing that plan was not in Charlie’s “best interest.”

A judge ordered Thursday that Charlie be sent to hospice and for his life support to be removed. The details about which hospice facility Charlie was sent to were kept sealed by the court.

In an emotional statement on Monday, Gard called his son “an absolute warrior.”

“We could not be prouder of him and we will miss him terribly. His body, heart and soul may soon be gone, but his spirit will live on for eternity and he will make a difference to people’s lives for years to come,” Gard said. “We will make sure of that.”

The news of Charlie’s death comes just a week before what would have been Charlie’s first birthday on Aug. 4.

A family spokesman confirmed Charlie’s death to the BBC.

Although Yates and Gard raised over a million dollars to bring Charlie to the United States for the experimental treatment, they were barred from doing so by British law, which allows doctors to supercede parents’ wishes if they deem it is in a child's best interest. The Great Ormond Street Hospital argued that Charlie was terminally ill and it was in his best interest to be “allowed” to die.

The controversial case gained international attention after Pope Francis and President Donald Trump offered their support to Charlie. Republican lawmakers had pursued legislation that would have granted Charlie and his parents lawful permanent status in the United States.

Vice President Mike Pence offered his condolences to Charlie’s parents.

This story has been updated to include additional information.