Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Dad gave Alfie kiss of life
‘He was blowing and blowing. In the end it wasn’t enough’
LITTLE Alfie Evans fought to the heartbreaking end of his short life yesterday as his father desperately tried to save him.
Dad Tom spent 10 agonising minutes giving the dying toddler mouth-tomouth resuscitation.
A relative said “he was blowing and blowing and blowing” but in the end it wasn’t enough to save him.
Tom and Alfie’s mum Kate James cradled their 23-month-old son in their arms as he passed away at 2.30am in Liverpool’s Alder Hey Hospital.
The shattered couple then fell asleep at their boy’s side as they spent a few last hours with him. Alfie, who suffered from a degenerative brain disease, had survived five days after being taken off life support.
STRUGGLING
His parents had lost a series of legal battles in a bid to get him treatment abroad and were in talks with hospital bosses about taking the youngster home.
The relative said: “It had been a really hard day as Alfie had been struggling to breathe from the early morning.
“He picked up and we thought everything was going to be OK. But at around 1.30am we got a call telling us to get back to the hospital.”
The relative then told of the heartrending scene as Tom, 21, tried to keep his son alive before he realised there was nothing he could do. Later the devastated dad – who admitted last week he had saved Alfie several times when he had stopped breathing – said on Facebook: “My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings... absolutely heartbroken.”
Distraught Kate, 20, added: “Our baby boy grew his wings tonight. We are heartbroken. Thank you everyone for your support.” Alfie’s plight touched hearts worldwide, with
hundreds of thousands of people joining social media groups dedicated to Alfie’s Army of supporters who backed his parents’ fight until the end.
Yesterday more than 1,500 people gathered in a park next to the hospital to release thousands of purple and blue balloons after a little girl sang A Thousand Years by Christina Perri.
Tom and Kate were too upset to attend, but Tom’s sister Sarah told the crowd: “I want to thank you all for coming today. You have lit up the sky. Alfie, God has set you free and now you are allowed to go.”
Tributes poured in for the battling youngster from around the world.
Pope Francis tweeted: “I am deeply moved by the death of little Alfie. Today I pray especially for his parents.” Gemma Lowery, whose boy Bradley, six, died last July after from rare childhood cancer neuroblastoma, said on Facebook: “I’m sending all my love to Alfie’s parents. They did everything they could.”
And the Bradley Lowery Foundation posted a mocked up picture of the two tragic youngsters hugging captioned: “Bradley will have his arm around Alfie.”
WINGS
Connie Yates, mum of tragic Charlie Gard, posted: “Our deepest condolences are with Tom and Kate after the passing of Alfie who gained his wings today exactly 9 months after Charlie.
“We will not rest until we have a better law. We all need to stand together.”
Charlie died of a rare genetic illness last July a week before his first birthday after his parents fought to take their son to America for treatment.
MEP Steven Wolfe, who campaigned for the family who wanted their son treated in Italy, said: “I am devastated by the passing of little Alfie. Tom and Kate have been the most courageous parents.”
A spokesman for Alder Hey said: “We wish to express our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to Alfie’s family at this extremely distressing time.”
Merseyside Police added: “We would like to pass on our sincere thoughts and condolences to Tom, Kate and their families for their very sad loss.
“We also pass on our thoughts to those at the hospital who have supported the family in caring for Alfie.”
For countless weeks it had been played out in the media, on the streets and in the courts.
But this is not the time to examine the intricate details of the case. That will come later. His parents’ actions and authorities’ decisions will divide people. But for now all will join together in grief for this tragic little boy.