Charlie Gard's mother Connie speaks out ahead of appeal case coming back to High Court

Charlie Gard's mother has spoken out ahead of the latest High Court hearing in the tragic saga surrounding her terminally-ill son.

Judge Nicholas Francis will hear new arguments around whether Connie Yates and Charlie's father, Chris Gard, should be allowed to take their son out of hospital to receive experimental treatment elsewhere.

He ruled earlier this year that the nucleoside treatment, which has never been tested on a person or even a mouse with Charlie's particular genetic illness, would be "futile".

The US doctor who offered the treatment admitted there was no evidence to suggest the drug, administered through food, would be able to reverse the brain damage the 11-month-old has suffered.

Rulings by higher courts backed up the decision and the couple "cried more than we've ever cried before" as they prepared to say goodbye to their son, Ms Yates told The Daily Mail.

But Mr Justice Francis has allowed Great Ormond Street Hospital's request for another hearing to consider reported new evidence from scientists.

Ms Yates told the Mail of the new hearing: "Hope has kept us going all this time.

"Until you find yourself in a situation like this, you have no idea how powerful hope is.

"We have never understood why, as parents who know our child best, who have spent hours by his bedside, our opinions count for so little."

Ms Yates insisted her son was not suffering, or in pain.

In April the High Court heard evidence that it was "likely" Charlie was suffering to some degree due to the systems keeping him alive.

Charlie's case has stirred passionate debate and even condemnation of the medical staff who have cared for him for several months.

President Donald Trump and the Pope have weighed in, appearing to side with the parents.

But doctors have urged people to read the full court judgments before ascribing ulterior motives to the authorities' decisions, or circulating conspiracy theories.

NHS paediatrician Dr Ranj Singh told The Independent: "These are not judgments that have been taken lightly, or reached easily. Their job is to provide an objective assessment and decision on complicated areas like this, when mutually agreeable decisions can’t be reached.

"It will naturally get people’s emotions and opinions up, and many people will take to social media to get their information and express themselves. Unfortunately that means it’s jumping on a bandwagon."