Alfie Evans update: Liverpool rushes to support baby Alfie - Full story of baby Alfie here
ALFIE Evans has become a well-known name on the streets of Liverpool and as the legal battle to transport the terminally ill toddler to Italy rages on, many are anxious to learn more about the boy whose story has gripped the nation.
Alfie Evans' dad reveals he's launching a new appeal
The fight to keep little Alfie on life support was lost this week when Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool took the 23-month-old boy off his ventilator on Monday evening.
One last glimmer of hope to save the baby was then extinguished on Tuesday afternoon when the High Court ruled parents Tom Evans and Kate James could not take their son out of the country for additional treatment in Rome.
Alfie, who suffers from a rare and undiagnosed degenerative neurological disease, has spent the majority of his life bedridden in hospital.
The court alleged today Alfie’s condition has now deteriorated beyond hope, to the point where everything that would allow him to have some “appreciation of life, or even the mere touch of his mother, has been destroyed irrevocably."
Now thousands of people across the country, known as Alfie’s Army, have rallied to support the struggling parents in their losing battle against the courts.
In Alfie’s hometown of Liverpool, football fans voiced their support for the ill tot by loudly chanting his name at the club’s Champions League match against Roma.
The spontaneous act of Liverpudlian solidarity emerged online after scores of Twitter users united under the hashtag #chantforalfie. The users spread the word online to chant Alfie’s name at the 23rd minute of the game at Anfield.
Follow all of the latest updates on Alfie Evans here.
Alfie Evans: Thousands have rallied in support of the terminally ill toddler
Alfie Evans: The full story:
The toddler has been living in a coma for more than year since he was inflicted with a mysterious disease just a few months after birth.
Alfie Evans was born on May 9, 2016, to his proud parents Tom and Kate in Liverpool.
However soon after his parents said Alfie began suffering “jerking, seizure-like movements”, which eventually resulted in an intense chest infection.
In December Alfie was placed on life support at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, where he would unfortunately remain until today.
Now the poor child is in a semi-vegetative state, which doctors have argued is too far gone for the boy ever lead a normal life.
I am praying for Alfie, for his family and for all who are involved
Several months after being admitted to hospital Alfie’s doctors began discussing the merit of continuing his treatment.
A high profile court case kicked off in December 2017 after the High Court was approached about removing parental rights and turning off Alfie’s life support.
What followed was a series of intense but doomed legal battles and multiple appeals at the High Court and Supreme Court.
Alfie Evans has spent most of his life at Alder Hey Children's Hospital
Alfie Evans' parents are fighting to take the ill baby to Italy
During this emotional period a chance for additional treatment outside the UK presented itself at Rome's Bambino Gesu Paediatric Hospital in Italy.
However in the latest round of High Court clashes, Mr Justice McFarlane ruled out a trip to Italy and instead suggested the toddler goes home with his parents.
On Monday April 23 evening at around 9pm, Alder Hey took Alfie off of his life support machines.
Soon after on Wednesday April 25, Mr Evans threatened legal action against three doctors on charge of conspiring to murder.
Alfie’s story has touched the world, with several high profile individuals showing their support for the toddler and his family.
Pope Francis, who personally met Mr Evans on April 18, said: “It is my sincere hope that everything necessary may be done in order to continue compassionately accompanying little Alfie Evans, and that the deep suffering of his parents may be heard.
"I am praying for Alfie, for his family and for all who are involved.”
The embittered battle to move Alfie out of the country rages on at the High Court.