Alfie Evans has died at Alder Hey hospital after his parents lost their final battle in court to prevent doctors from turning his life support machine off. The 23-month-old had been at the centre of a life-support fight that saw him granted Italian citizenship so that he might receive treatment in Rome.
This morning, dad Tom Evans announced that his ‘gladiator’ had ‘gained his wings’.
He said: ‘My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings at 2.30am. Absolutely heartbroken. I LOVE YOU MY GUY’.
Alder Hey Hospital later posted a statement saying: ‘We wish to express our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to Alfie’s family at this extremely distressing time.
‘All of us feel deeply for Alfie, Kate, Tom and his whole family and our thoughts are with them.’
‘This has been a devastating journey for them and we would ask that their privacy and the privacy of staff at Alder Hey is respected.’
On Tuesday, a judge ruled he will not be allowed to go to Italy for further treatment – but said he may be allowed home from hospital. Parents Tom Evans and Kate James, both in their early 20s and from Liverpool, were represented in court to appeal against the decision, however it was again rejected.
Speaking this week, Mr Evans said his son was breathing by himself. However, he later added that he had been ‘starved from nutrition’ for 23 hours.
He said: ‘Coming up to 24 hours and he’s fighting with his gorgeous features, pink lips, handsome grown up face, and odd cheeky smile now and again. ‘He has now been starved from nutrition for 23 hours. How is this human, where does his dignity lie?’
He had earlier said that since the life support machine was switched off, the boy was needing help with his breathing. He said: ‘At some point I had to give him mouth-to-mouth because his lips went blue and he was really fighting with his breathing so me and his mum were giving him mouth-to-mouth.’
The couple have lost battles in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and ECHR, over the last months.
Doctors withdrew treatment on Monday evening and Alfie spent the night in his mothers arms, breathing independently. Alfie was born on May 9, 2016 in Liverpool but was taken to hospital in December that year after suffering seizures.
He spent 12 months in hospital where bosses said they were ‘liaising directly’ with his family after disagreements over his treatment. Alfie’s parents said the hospital has applied to the High Court to remove parental rights and withdraw ventilation. In December 2017 the hospital said it was not in Alfie’s best interests to be on life-support but his parents asked for permission to fly him to Italy.
In February this year, a doctor told the court that there is ‘no hope’ for Alfie who is in a semi-vegetative state from a degenerative neurological condition doctors have not been able to definitively identify. However his father said he ‘looks me in the eye’ and wants help.
The case was in and out of court throughout March and April before a decision was made last night by a high court judge, dismissing new submissions and his life support was withdrawn. Mr Evans said on Monday: ‘I love Alfie and I love Kate, I will not give up.’ Pope Francis has also expressed support for the couple.
He said in a tweet on Monday: ‘Moved by the prayers and immense solidarity shown little Alfie Evans, I renew my appeal that the suffering of his parents may be heard and that their desire to seek new forms of treatment may be granted.’+
At one point on Monday supporters of the family had attempted to storm Alder Hey. They ran towards the main doors but police blocked their way.
Police remained outside the entrances to the children’s hospital throughout the day. Alfie’s parents have lost two rounds of fights.
Judges have heard that Alfie, born on May 9 2016, is in a ‘semi-vegetative state’ and has a degenerative neurological condition doctors had not definitively diagnosed. Specialists say his brain has been ‘eroded’.
In February, Mr Justice Hayden had ruled that doctors at Alder Hey could stop treating Alfie against the wishes of his parents following hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London and Liverpool. Specialists at Alder Hey said life support treatment should stop and Mr Justice Hayden said he accepted medical evidence which showed that further treatment was futile. He said flying Alfie to a foreign hospital would be wrong and pointless.
Court of Appeal judges upheld his decisions. Supreme Court justices and European Court of Human Rights judges refused to intervene. The couple then argued Alfie was being wrongly ‘detained’ at Alder Hey and made a habeas corpus application.
Mr Justice Hayden dismissed that application. Appeal judges upheld Mr Justice Hayden’s decision. On Friday Supreme Court justices said they would not intervene. Early on Monday EHCR judges also refused to intervene...
-Metro News-
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