Little Charlie Gard will not live to his first birthday on August 4th.

His parents acquiesced to the British government yesterday, and announced that they wouldn’t be taking him for treatment in America. Now they just want to take their baby home to die.

Except that now Chris Gard and Connie Yates might be denied even this request. Instead, a British judge is expected to decide on Wednesday whether or not to allow their last wish. However, despite the parents’ incredible pain, that judge said that the chances of that were “small.”

Thus Charlie’s parents endure yet another level of cruelty from their government. Just for the chance to take their baby so he could die at home, they had to return to court. Even their lawyer is at wits end to explain why. “We struggle with the difficulties which the hospital has placed in the way of the parents’ wish to have a period of time probably a relatively short period of time … before the final act in Charlie’s short life,” said lawyer Grant Armstrong.

Oh, that wouldn’t be appropriate, say staff at the Great Ormond Street Hospital, which is now treating Charlie. You see, his ventilation system won’t fit through his home’s door. Best he die at hospice.

Former UK Independence Party Leader Nigel Farage sounded off on this atrocious treatment:

Do you know why British bureaucrats are loathe to relinquish little Charle to his home? The answer can be found in the words of Ian Kennedy of the University College of London. He’s a professor emeritus of health, law, ethics, and policy.