Alfie Evans’ life support withdrawn, father says

The life support of seriously ill toddler Alfie Evans has been withdrawn, his father has said.

Tom Evans said the 23-month-old’s life support was turned off on Monday but Alfie was breathing on his own and had been given oxygen.

It comes after his parents lost legal challenges against a High Court ruling in February that Alder Hey Children’s Hospital could withdraw ventilation.

A further hearing will be held this afternoon.

The hospital said it would “not be issuing any updates on his condition”.

Speaking outside the hospital earlier, Mr Evans said: “[Alfie] is now on oxygen. It’s not changing his breathing but it’s oxygenating his body.

“He is still working, he’s doing as good as he can but we do need him to be supported in the next hour. It’s going to be hard.”

A candle-lit vigil was held by supporters of Alfie outside the hospital overnight, where earlier in the day protesters had tried to storm the entrance.

In a statement on Twitter Alder Hey bosses said “out of respect for the privacy of Alfie and his family” it would not be commenting on the toddler’s condition, in line with “normal and agreed practice with all our patients”.

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The Christian Legal Centre, which is representing Alfie’s parents, said: “Contrary to all the expectations of the doctors… Alfie has survived much longer than the doctors predicted.”

Mr Justice Hayden, the High Court judge who ruled doctors could stop treating Alfie against the wishes of his parents, is scheduled to hear more discussion at a hearing in Manchester after 15:30 BST.

Barrister Paul Diamond, who represents Alfie’s parents, will argue it cannot be in the toddler’s best interests to be left to die in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and he should be allowed to travel to Italy where doctors are ready to care for him.

The latest hearing comes after Mr Justice Hayden dismissed submissions heard in private from lawyers representing Mr Evans and Alfie’s mother Kate James on Monday evening.

Earlier that day, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs granted Alfie Italian citizenship, hoping it would allow him an “immediate transfer to Italy”.

His parents had hoped he could be taken to the Bambino Gesu Hospital in Rome, which has links to the Vatican, where his care could continue.

• Who is Alfie Evans and what is the row over his treatment?
• Alfie Evans granted Italian citizenship
• Protesters try to storm hospital

Mr Diamond told the judge an Italian government representative wanted to intervene in the case and asked for more time.

But Michael Mylonas QC, who leads Alder Hey’s team, said any granting of Italian citizenship made no difference.

Mr Justice Hayden later dismissed the application, saying: “Alfie is a British citizen, he is undoubtedly habitually resident in the UK.

“He falls therefore under the jurisdiction of the High Court.”

Pope Francis renewed his support for the family on Monday by tweeting: “Moved by the prayers and immense solidarity shown little Alfie Evans, I renew my appeal that the suffering of his parents may be heard and that their desire to seek new forms of treatment may be granted.”

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Moved by the prayers and immense solidarity shown little Alfie Evans, I renew my appeal that the suffering of his parents may be heard and that their desire to seek new forms of treatment may be granted.

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 23, 2018

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The hospital has argued that keeping Alfie on a ventilator is not in “his best interests” and any further treatment was not only “futile” but also “unkind and inhumane”.

Alfie has been in Alder Hey since December 2016 with a rare undiagnosed degenerative neurological condition.