YOUR SAY: Tragic case of terminally ill Alfie Evans has split opinion

There is nothing more emotive than the life of a young child.
Thomas Evans, Alfies father, attends Pope Francis general audience at the Vatican and, brave AlfieThomas Evans, Alfies father, attends Pope Francis general audience at the Vatican and, brave Alfie
Thomas Evans, Alfies father, attends Pope Francis general audience at the Vatican and, brave Alfie

The tragic case of Alfie Evans has split opinion and saw protests in Blackpool on the Comedy Carpet by campaigners backing his cause.

Tom Evans, 21, and Kate James, 20, want to move their son from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool to Rome for treatment and launched a second application to the Supreme Court, which was rejected.

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They had already lost fights in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court of Human Rights after Mr Justice Hayden ruled that doctors could stop providing life-support treatment for the 23-month old.

Judges have heard that Alfie, born on May 9 2016, is in a semi-vegetative state and has a degenerative neurological condition doctors have not definitively diagnosed.

Mr Justice Hayden said flying Alfie to a foreign hospital would be wrong and pointless.

Mr Evans posted on Facebook that he flew to Rome on Tuesday evening and met the Pope on Wednesday morning.

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Posting photos of himself kissing Pope Francis’s hand, he wrote: “Your holiness save our son.”

Previously, Mr Evans apologised after reports of “verbal abuse and intimidation” towards Alder Hey staff by protesters set up outside the hospital.

Here’s your comments:

As sad as it is, if this poor child is suffering it’s best to just let him go. I don’t understand the point of rallies. Doctors don’t recommend that treatment is stopped just for their own amusement.

Deborah Gregson

Why people think they know more than experts in their field I’m not sure. The problem today is we have all the technological advances to help these people / children live and survive but to what end? What quality of life do they actually have and who knows how much they suffer?

Caroline Drury

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I went through a similar decision 38 years ago....and I don’t regret my decision for no more help for my six week old baby son. To this day I don’t regret my decision. I think if we carried on, my son would still have not had any quality of life, and this would have affected my marriage and the life of my other children. When my son died it was like a cloud lifting from me as he was at peace. I honestly do feel for these parents and others. It’s very hard.

Brenda Blackshaw

If it was my child I would be doing the same. I have followed this baby from day one and he can do stuff . I have seen him breathe on his own his belly moving up and down. So no I agree with what they’re doing

Amanda Coulthard

Due to neglect at birth on the hospital’s part my daughter was special needs. They said she wouldn’t make two then it was 13 she passed away aged 31. Until you have been in a situation you cannot say what you would do

Pamela Lyall

And sometimes doctors get it wrong. Let the parents make that decision to remove him from Alder Hey instead of some toffee-nosed judge who know nothing about Alfie. I’ve seen lots of children now adults with complex needs and brain limitations grow into adulthood having a loving family and care and support network assisting them throughout their life. It’s not much different to someone who has suffered a brain injury through accident and living with a tracheotomy.

Debbie Highfield

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This is every parent’s worst nightmare and unimaginable for most. No one, who is not a medical expert or these tragic, young parents, know what they’re going through. It is a traumatic experience for all concerned. The primary concern is Alfie and the pain he is suffering. Someone needs to be an advocate for him. There are no winners in this awful situation and my heart goes out to all involved. Protesting with placards and banners, especially outside Alfie’s hospital, by ill informed reactionaries doesn’t help anyone and causes unnecessary distress to the medical staff who are dealing with this incredibly complicated and emotional case. Just tragic.

Sophie Choudhury

Everybody has different views but the parents should not be judged for doing what they feel is right. I as a parent myself know I would do everything I could to make sure that switching off his machine was justified

Sarah Thompson

As a parent no-one knows what you would do in the same situation...but the parents that “kidnapped” their little boy and took him abroad for treatment when British docs said nothing could be done, that little boy is now running about playing football and going to mainstream school

Jane Keeling

That wasn’t the same situation at all. That child wasn’t being kept artificially alive. This one is.

Deborah Gregson

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I feel sorry for all the other parents with very sick children at Alder Hey

Alan Clark

Whether Alfie is flown to Rome or not he will not recover. Even the doctors in Rome have confirmed this. He has hardly any brain activity. The hospital has been turned into a circus. I feel for Alfie’s parents but they’ve been refused by court more than once now. And I’m sorry but if it was my son I’d be doing the best for him by turning the machines off. Every day is a fight for that poor boy who will never get better.

Rachel Lomas

This poor boy is seriously ill and sadly will never recover.

Terry Wright

People need to read the court judgements (which are availiable to read) and see why the judges have made the decision that they have

Nicholas Riding

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One doctor could get it wrong, three doctors might get it wrong, but a big team of consultants, professors and doctors from around the country and world all getting wrong? I don’t think so.

Dave Kerr

I really don’t understand how they won’t let them take Alfie for a chance. If there is a glimmer of hope that’s far better than just to turn his life support machine off

Jennifer Culshaw

Just let him go, there’s nothing to lose .

Colin Rushton

A fantastic protest with fantastic people

Sue Davies