Judge gives parents date for tragic baby Alfie’s life to end
THE devastated parents of stricken baby Alfie Evans were yesterday given a final date for their son’s life support to be switched off.
A High Court judge set a day for the 23-month-old tot’s final hours after a hearing in London.
But Mr Justice Hayden said details of the “end of life” plan could not be reported. Alfie had “lived most of his short life in the public domain” and was entitled to privacy at the end of it.
He said he had endorsed the care plan constructed by Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, setting out the provisions for the end of Alfie’s life. He added that the youngster’s brain had been so corrupted by mitochondrial disease that his life was “futile”.
Mr Justice Hayden ruled last month that it was in Alfie’s best interests for his treatment to be withdrawn.
The decision was then upheld by the Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.
But Alder Hey returned to court, saying it was unable to agree an end of life plan with parents Tom Evans, 21, and Kate James, 20, right.
Their barrister, Paul Diamond, said Mr Evans believed his son was improving and wanted a “fresh assessment”.
Announcing his decision, the judge said there was no doubt Alfie was “much loved”. But it was seven weeks since he had declared his situation to be against his best interests and the parents – Mr Evans particularly – had not engaged with the care plan. Alfie’s parents, who were not at the hearing, had wanted to move their son to a hospital in Rome or Germany and claimed the state was interfering with their parental choice.