Judge tells of sympathy for parents of tragic Alfie in end-of-life support fight

A HIGH Court judge has expressed his sympathy for the parents of a 23-month-old boy who is approaching death after being at the centre of a life-support treatment battle.

Mr Justice Hayden described what had happened to Alfie Evans as “profoundly unfair” as he endorsed an end-of-life care plan drawn up by specialists.

Alfie’s parents, Tom Evans and Kate James who are both in their 20s and from Liverpool, have lost fights to force doctors to continue treatment in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights. Alfie has an undiagnosed degenerative brain disease.

In February, Mr Justice Hayden ruled that doctors at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool could stop treating Alfie against the wishes of his parents following hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London and Liverpool.

Yesterday, during a follow-up hearing in London, he endorsed a plan put forward by Alder Hey doctors for withdrawing life support treatment.

The judge said detail of that plan could not be revealed because Alfie was entitled to privacy at the end of his life.

He said the couple had left no stone unturned in their fight for continued treatment.

Mr Justice Hayden said Mr Evans delighted in Alfie and had encountered an unfairness about which he could do nothing. “He is at times hot-headed and impetuous but he delights in his son,” said the judge. “Tom, at 21, has encountered an unfairness about which he can do nothing.

“His frustration at that has been palpable.”