Charlie Gard gets permanent U.S. resident status

U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday waded into the international fight to save a critically ill British infant by taking a step toward giving him permanent resident status. The designation could allow Charlie Gard’s parents to legally take him out of the U.K. despite a judge’s order requiring him to stay in the London hospital where doctors want to remove his life support. A London high court judge asked a U.S. doctor to travel to Britain earlier this week to examine the 11-month-old, who has mitochondrial depletion syndrome. The rare genetic disease causes muscle weakness and brain damage and has left Charlie unable to move or breathe unassisted. His parents, Chris Gard and Connie Yates, have fought for months to get an experimental treatment for their son. The court will hold another hearing in Charlie’s case later this month, during which a judge will decide whether to allow the baby to travel to the United States for treatment.