Alfie, Isaiah, Charlie: The Ill Children Mandated to Die by Hospitals Against Their Parents’ Wishes
'The fight for Alfie Evans’ life appears to be at a close as his father, on behalf of the family, signalled that he would be working with the hospital “on a plan that provides our boy with the dignity and comfort he needs” and asked his supporters to return to their everyday lives.
The ill toddler joins a list of other children removed from life support against their parents’ wishes, whose stories have touched the hearts of people around the world and whose fight for their short lives found the support from high-profiled figures such as Pope Francis, Polish President Andrzej Duda, European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, and U.S. President Donald J. Trump.
Alfie Evans, 23 months old, suffers from an undiagnosed degenerative neurological condition and has been in a coma at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, England, for over a year.
Though the doctors at the Vatican hospital said they could not cure Alfie, they had offered to take him to Rome for operations to help him breathe and eat, which would have allowed him to survive for an “undefined period”.
Tom and Kate battled the UK courts and the European Court of Human Rights for two months after the hospital made the decision to stop treating the child, with a High Court judge ruling on the 11th of April that Alfie must be removed from life support.
However, when life support was removed two weeks later on the 23rd, Alfie continued to breath unaided, only receiving help from oxygen and water after six hours off ventilation – against the alleged expectation of doctors.
It was on Thursday night that the Evanses signalled that their fight was over and said they would be working with the hospital on a care plan, asked supporters to cease their vigils, and said they would be making no more statements in order to focus on their son.'
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