■ A boy whose parents fought to keep him on life support is mourned in the U.K.

LONDON — Alfie Evans, a British toddler with a degenerative brain condition whose parents lost a legal battle to keep him on life support at a Vatican hospital, was mourned with balloons and prayers from the pope after he died Saturday, weeks shy of his second birthday.

Kate James and Tom Evans said their son’s death overnight in Liverpool, England had left them “heartbroken.” Alfie’s condition left him with almost no brain function, and multiple courts ruled that keeping him alive was not in his best interests before doctors removed his ventilator five days ago.

“My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings at 02:30,” Evans, 21, wrote in a Facebook post decorated with a broken heart and crying emojis.

As news spread in the community, dozens of people laid flowers and mementoes in a park near Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, where Alfie was treated.

James, 20, posted thanks on social media to those who supported the family through Alfie’s illness and court fight.

Doctors overseeing his care said further treatment was futile and he should be allowed to die. But his parents fought for months to try to convince judges to allow them to take him to the Vatican’s children’s hospital, where life support would have been maintained.

Under British law, courts are asked to intervene when parents and doctors disagree on the right course of treatment for a child. In such cases, the rights of the child take primacy over the parents’ right to decide what’s best for their daughters and sons.

Pope Francis met with Evans and publicly supported the parents’ campaign to bring Alfie to Bambino Gesu Hospital.

Italy granted Alfie citizenship and put a military plane on standby to transport him to Rome, if the courts allowed it.