Alfie Evans case facts for kids

Alfie James Evans (born May 9, 2016 – died April 28, 2018) was a baby boy from Liverpool, England. He had a very serious brain condition that doctors could not fully identify at first. It was later found to be a rare brain condition called GABA-transaminase deficiency.

Alfie's doctors and his parents disagreed about his care. The doctors at Alder Hey Children's Hospital believed it was best to stop his life support. They felt that continuing treatment was not helping him and was unkind. However, Alfie's parents, Kate James and Thomas Evans, wanted to continue his treatment. This disagreement led to a legal battle in court.

Alfie's breathing support was removed on April 23, 2018, after his family's appeals in court were not successful. Alfie continued to breathe on his own for five days after his breathing tube was taken out. He passed away on April 28, 2018.

Alfie's Medical Care

Alder Hey Children's Hospital, where Alfie Evans was treated from December 2016 until his death.

In November 2016, when Alfie was six months old, he was checked at Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Doctors found that his development was like that of a 6-week to 2-month-old baby. On December 14, 2016, Alfie was admitted to the hospital with a cough, high temperature, and jerking movements.

The next day, he had sudden, uncontrolled movements, which were like baby seizures. Brain tests (EEGs) confirmed that his brain activity was very abnormal. Later tests in January 2017 showed that his brain activity had changed a lot and was not responding well.

Alfie's parents wanted to move him from Alder Hey to another hospital. They hoped to get more care at the Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome, Italy. In September 2017, Italian doctors looked at Alfie's case. They thought they could offer long-term breathing support and other medical procedures.

However, during their assessment, Alfie had seizures when he was touched or moved. The Italian doctors warned that moving him could cause more brain damage and put the transfer at risk. Alfie stayed at Alder Hey Hospital throughout 2017, but his condition did not get better. By the end of the year, the hospital asked the court for permission to stop his life support.

Public Attention and Support

Alfie Evans's story gained a lot of public attention in the UK and other countries. His parents started "Alfie's Army," an online group. This group worked to find more treatment for Alfie and to stop his life support from being removed.

Supporters created a petition asking Alder Hey Children's Hospital to let Alfie move to a hospital chosen by his parents. Alfie's parents also spoke with Dr. Michio Hirano, a US doctor who had offered treatment in a similar case involving another child named Charlie Gard. Alfie's parents believed they had the right to make decisions about their son's care. They argued that the hospital should not decide without their agreement.

Large protests happened outside Alder Hey Hospital on April 12. This was after Alfie's family said they wanted to take him home. On April 16, the police started an investigation into some bad behavior. Judges also worried about people threatening hospital staff. Alfie's parents later said they were sorry and did not mean to cause any harm or upset.

Help from Other Countries

On April 18, 2018, Alfie's father went to Rome to meet with Pope Francis. The Pope spoke about Alfie's case on Twitter. He said he hoped everything needed would be done to help Alfie. He also hoped that his parents' deep sadness would be heard. After Alfie's life support was removed, the Pope again showed his support. He said he was moved by the prayers for Alfie and hoped his parents' wish for new treatments would be granted.

The President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, also showed his support. On April 23, Alfie was given Italian citizenship. This was requested by Brothers of Italy's leader, Giorgia Meloni. The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs hoped Alfie would be allowed to move to Italy right away.

Court Decisions

Alder Hey NHS Trust -v- Evans
Court	High Court of Justice (Family Division)
Decided	20 February 2018 (2018-02-20) (High Court), 6 March 2018 (2018-03-06) (Court of Appeal)

On December 19, 2017, Alder Hey Hospital asked the High Court for permission to stop Alfie's breathing treatment. The hospital argued that continuing life support was not in Alfie's best interest. They said it would be "unkind and inhumane." A doctor treating Alfie said there was "no hope" for him. The doctor explained that Alfie had a severe brain condition that doctors could not fully identify.

Alfie's parents disagreed. His father said that Alfie "looks him in the eye" and "wants help."

The High Court decided in favor of the hospital on February 20, 2018. The judge said that an MRI scan from February 2018 showed that Alfie's brain was severely damaged and could not recover. The court noted that doctors, including those called by the parents, agreed that Alfie had a fatal and untreatable condition. They only disagreed on the best way to care for him at the end of his life. The judge concluded that continuing breathing support was no longer in Alfie's best interest.

Appeals Process

Alfie's parents appealed this decision in late February. On March 6, 2018, the Court of Appeal supported the High Court's ruling. They said the first judge was very careful. Medical evidence showed Alfie was "deeply comatose" and "unaware of his surroundings." The parents then asked the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom for another appeal on March 20, 2018, but this was refused. On March 28, 2018, the European Court of Human Rights also said they could not hear the case. They found no clear violation of human rights.

In another High Court decision on April 11, 2018, the judge noted that by the end of February, parts of Alfie's brain needed for basic senses like hearing and touch were destroyed. The High Court supported a plan for end-of-life care made by Alfie's medical team.

Alfie's father said Alfie was wrongly "detained" at Alder Hey. The judges dismissed this complaint. On April 17, 2018, Tom Evans and Kate James asked the Supreme Court to look at their case again. Their request was refused on April 20, 2018. The judges wrote that "Alfie looks like a normal baby, but the unanimous opinion of the doctors... is that almost all of his brain has been destroyed." They added that "there is no hope of his ever getting better." The European Court of Human Rights again rejected their appeal.

The family argued that stopping Alfie from moving from Alder Hey Hospital was a violation of his right to liberty. This decision led to a protest of at least 200 people outside Alder Hey hospital.

Life Support Removed

On April 23, it was reported that Alfie's life support had been removed. Alfie continued to breathe on his own after his breathing tube was taken out. His parents gave different reports about this, at one point saying they needed to perform mouth-to-mouth. However, no public evidence of this was ever shown. Alfie's father told the media the next morning that Alfie had been breathing without help since the support was removed. He asked for life support to be put back.

That evening, the judge rejected the parents' appeal to fly their son to a hospital in Italy. The judge explained that every doctor who had seen Alfie agreed his brain was too damaged to recover. He said that the brain scan showed Alfie's brain was almost entirely gone. The judge stated that the hospital in Rome could only offer a different plan for comfort care. On April 25, the appeal was rejected again.

Alfie's father tried to start a private legal case against some staff members at Alder Hey. This was rejected by a judge. On April 26, Tom Evans released a statement. He thanked supporters and the staff at Alder Hey Hospital. He said the family wanted to work with the hospital team to create a plan for Alfie that would give him comfort.

Alfie's Passing

Alfie passed away at 2:30 a.m. on April 28, 2018. Later that day, his father, Tom Evans, announced his death on Facebook. He wrote, "My gladiator lay down his shield and gained his wings... absolutely heartbroken."

See also

In Spanish: Alfie Evans para niños