Charlie’s parents backing baby boy fighting for his life
A YOUNG family in a race against time to save a seriously ill baby who doctors allegedly say should be ‘allowed to die’ are drawing inspiration from Charlie Gard’s parents.
Alfie Evans has been in a coma with a mystery illness for eight months and, according to his parents, experts think he might have a mitochondrial condition – the same type of condition as Charlie.
Charlie died last month just short of his first birthday after his life support was switched off following a legal battle which saw his parents unsuccessfully fight to take him abroad for experimental treatment.
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Alfie’s family claim doctors at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool ‘have indicated that his parents should withdraw life support and “allow him to die peacefully” because that’s “in his best interest”’.
But they say Charlie’s mother has been ‘brilliant’ in offering the family invaluable advice on fundraising and mitochondria specialists.
Alfie’s parents, Thomas Evans, 20, and Kate James, 19, have launched an Alfie’s Army Facebook page and begun a campaign to raise £50,000 to get him treatment abroad before it is too late. More than £17,000 has been raised. While the heartbreaking case has not gone to court, the family have been taking legal advice. Alfie, who is 14 months old, was born apparthat ently perfectly healthy, but in his first seven months missed numerous developmental milestones.
He started making ‘jerking, seizure-like movements’ and was taken to the doctors, but his parents were told he was ‘lazy and a late developer’, the family claim. Then he caught a chest infection caused seizures and was put on life support last December.
His parents were told he wasn’t going to make it – but he fought back to beat the infection, and started breathing on his own.
However, he caught another chest infection and had to go back on a ventilator when he began having more seizures. His family say they have been told his condition may be a mitochondrial one but doctors are unsure.
Yesterday Alfie’s aunt, Sarah Evans, said the seizures are coming in clusters and taking a serious toll. ‘He’s on a very rapid decline at the moment,’ she said.
The family have contacted medical experts in Italy, Munich and Utah who may be able to help. ‘At this point we’re grasping at any leads we can get – but the doctors seem to just be leaving him to die,’ his aunt said.
In an online post, Mr Evans, from Bootle, Merseyside, added: ‘We are fighting tooth and nail to save our baby son while he is ignored and denied opportunities.
‘Alfie has brain function – he is not in a vegetative state – he is not brain dead. He has a future and a life in front of him to live. He hasn’t given up and neither are we.’
The hospital said yesterday that it did not comment on individual cases. But in a statement last month a spokesman for Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘We understand that this is an incredibly difficult time for the family concerned and we continue to liaise directly with them.’
‘He hasn’t given up and neither are we’