Father fights on in life-support battle
Baby Alfie ‘sentenced to the death penalty’ as doctors rule out any hope
HEALTH: The father of a braindamaged boy Alfie Evans has said he will not give up despite losing a fight over life-support treatment in the High Court.
Tom Evans complained that his 21-month-old son Alfie Evans had been wrongly “sentenced to the death penalty” after a judge ruled that doctors could stop providing life-support.
THE FATHER of a brain-damaged boy Alfie Evans has said he will not give up despite losing a fight over life-support treatment in the High Court.
Tom Evans complained that his 21-month-old son Alfie Evans had been wrongly “sentenced to the death penalty” after a judge yesterday ruled that doctors could stop providing life-support treatment.
Mr Justice Hayden, who analysed the case in hearings at the Family Division of the High Court in Liverpool and London, said he accepted medical evidence which showed further treatment was futile.
Specialists at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool had asked the judge to rule that lifesupport treatment could end.
They said continuing to provide treatment was “unkind, unfair and inhumane”.
Alfie’s parents, Mr Evans and Kate James – who are both in their 20s – wanted treatment to continue and asked for permission to take Alfie to hospitals in Europe.
Mr Evans told Mr Justice Hayden he wanted time to consider the ruling. “The system has worked against us,” he said outside court.
“I’m not crying because I know how wrong they are, I know how strong my boy is doing. He is strong, he is comfortable.
“This isn’t the end. This is just the start.
“My son is two years of age and has been sentenced to the death penalty. That is wrong.”
Mr Evans had broken down as the judge announced his decision at a hearing in London.
Alfie’s mother had left the hearing before Mr Justice Hayden and wept outside.
Specialists had told Mr Justice Hayden that Alfie had a “progressive, ultimately fatal neurodegenerative condition” which had not been diagnosed – one doctor said it might become known as “Alfie’s disease”.
The judge said evidence showed that Alfie’s brain had been “devastated by progressive degeneration”, and he had been kept alive by a ventilator for months.
“Alfie has lost the capacity to hear, see, smell or respond to touch, other than reflexively,” he said.
“All agree that it is unsafe to discount the possibility that Alfie continues to experience pain.”
The judge said the evidence had “reluctantly and sadly” driven him to one conclusion.
“Properly analysed, Alfie’s need now is for good quality palliative care,” he said. “By this I mean care which will keep him as comfortable as possible at the last stage of his life.
“He requires peace, quiet and privacy in order that he may conclude his life, as he has lived it, with dignity.
“It was entirely right that every reasonable option should be explored for Alfie. I am now confident that this has occurred.”
He said he appreciated that his decision would be “devastating news” to Alfie’s parents.
Lawyers representing Alder Hey said doctors planned to stop providing life-support treatment on Friday.
Outside Alder Hey around 30 members of “Alfie’s Army” were supporting the family’s campaign as they awaited the decision.
Blue and purple balloons fluttered in the wind as they chanted, “Save Alfie Evans!”
As news of the decision filtered through, supporters stood in silence, wiping away tears and exchanging hugs.
Danielle Page, 32, from St Helens, said: “It is devastating. He’s not lying there like a vegetable, he’s a little boy, he’s a miracle. He needs a chance. Everything that’s been thrown at him, he’s battled through. We are not going to give up.”
A statement from Alder Hey Hospital said: “Our aim is always to try and reach an agreement with parents about the most appropriate care plan for their child.
“Unfortunately there are sometimes rare situations such as this where agreement cannot be reached and the treating team believe that continued active treatment is not in a child’s best interests.
“The Trust referred this case to the Family Division of the High Court to seek a determination as to what treatment Alfie should receive in his best interests.
“The Court has made a decision about Alfie’s future care and treatment. We understand that this is a very difficult time for Alfie’s family.”
This isn’t the end. This is just the start. Alfie Evans’s father outside court as a judge ruled his son should be allowed to die.