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Pope Francis reportedly wants to hand terminally-ill Charlie Gard a Vatican passport so he can be flown to Italy for treatment.

Sources suggest court rulings preventing him from leaving hospital can be "overcome" if the 11-month-old baby becomes a Vatican City citizen.

The Pope has intervened in the legal row after the Vatican's children's hospital offered to transfer the tot from Great Ormond Street Hospital .

And now it appears efforts are being stepped up to bring Charlie to the Rome city-state.

One Vatican source told the Sun : "It would be unprecedented if citizenship was granted to Charlie, but it is being investigated.

(Image: PA)

(Image: PA)

(Image: Getty)

“Legal parameters are preventing him from being moved and treated overseas. If that can be overcome, then so be it."

While Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, added: “We are doing whatever we can.”

It comes as Charlie's parents Chris and Connie Gard shared a photograph of themselves hugging inside the Great Ormond Street chapel as they accused doctors of keeping them "in the dark" over decisions as they spend their final days with their son.

(Image: Featureworld)

Ahead of a protest outside Downing Street last night, Connie told The Sun: "Doctors have kept us in the dark.

"We can only hope that various meetings they’ve been having to which we have not been invited are positive and that they will let us take Charlie to the US for treatment."

Also, a US hospital offered to admit Charlie and carry out experimental treatment as long as "legal hurdles" are cleared.

(Image: ANSA) (Image: PA)

The desperately ill baby has been at the centre of a huge court fight in London which has now made global headlines.

President Donald Trump has said the US is ready to "help" the 11-month-old in addition to the Pope's backing of Charlies' parents' desire to "accompany and care" for their sick baby boy "to the end".

The US hospital, which cannot be named for legal reasons, has come out publicly for the first time to say it would admit and evaluate Charlie "provided that arrangements are made to safely transfer him to our facility, legal hurdles are cleared, and we receive emergency approval from the FDA for an experimental treatment as appropriate," according a US newspaper.

(Image: PA) (Image: PA)

The FDA refers to the Food and Drug Administration, the US public health agency.

The US hospital has said if Charlie cannot travel to them, they could also ship the experimental drug to Great Ormond Street Hospital where he is being cared for.

Charlie's family have raised more than £1.3million to take him to the US to try nucleoside bypass therapy.

Great Ormond Street has opposed the move, arguing there is no evidence the experimental treatment would help Charlie, and that he should be allowed to die with dignity.

(Image: AFP)

(Image: AFP)

The High Court and Supreme Court backed their decision, as did the European Court of Human Rights.

Charlie has a rare genetic condition affecting his mitochondria and doctors argued life support should be switched off because there is no chance of his condition improving.

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A US specialist told judges that a "small chance" of a meaningful improvement in Charlie's brain function would be provided by therapy.

That paved the way for Great Ormond Street to turn off his life support.

But that does not appear to have taken place and a spokesman said last Friday: "Together with Charlie's parents we are putting plans in place for his care, and to give them more time together as a family.

"We would ask you to give the family and our staff some space and privacy at this distressing time."