Hope is usually the one thing humanity clings onto in times of desperation regardless of how serious a situation maybe. But what happens when that hope is forcibly withdrawn like a carpet being pulled from beneath your feet? There can be nothing left than despair and resentment for the establishment.
Do you remember the young 2 year old boy Alfie Evans suffering a terminal disease and in coma in Alder Hey hospital Liverpool England? Well, the court has finally ruled in favor of the hospital (and believe this) actually fighting the parents to withdraw his life support. How tragic a decision can that be for any parents to know that “sorry I got to pull the plug and let your boy die’!!
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But first to enlighten you about the trauma of the parents and their child. Alfie Evans is a two year old suffering from a terminal and rare brain disease. The boy was in a semi-vegetative state due to a degenerative neurological condition. He had been admitted to the Alder Hey hospital by his parents Tom Evans and Kate James from Liverpool who were hoping to admit the boy later to a hospital abroad.
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Alfie Evans had been in coma for 16 months after suffering a mysterious neurodegenerative disorder. The boy was born a healthy baby but started displaying signs of misdevelopment in his first seven months such as seizure-like movements, and jerking. Believe it or not, doctors termed it laziness and a late developer. A subsequent chest infection increased the seizures after which he was admitted to Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool and placed on life support in December 2016. Doctors assumed he suffered from a mitochondrial condition Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MDS).
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Kate and Tom were told that the boy wouldn’t make it but the little toddler fought back and started breathing without lifer support. Unfortunately a second chest infection worsened the condition and he was put on a ventilator ever since. Doctors described the boy’s condition as semi-vegetative and declared it was in the boy’s best interest that his life support should be stopped.
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Before Christmas 2017, Tom and Kate only 20 were informed that the boy would not be allowed to fly to Rome for special treatment. They then tried legally fighting for the boy’s right to live and their lawyers wrote to Alder Hey saying that the boy would be removed and flown to Italy but the Hospital actually refused. This led to a public hearing in the Family Division of the High Court on December 19th. The couple had also collected 50,000 pounds from a crowdfunding for his treatment.
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In February 2018, Justice Hayden of the High court ruled in favor of the hospital saying that the life support should be withdrawn from the boy. Alfie’s dad said that his son had been sentenced to the death penalty "My son has been sentenced to the death penalty. The system has worked against us.
"I'm not crying, because I know how wrong they are, I know how strong my boy is doing. He is strong, he is comfortable."
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What is especially deplorable about this whole incident is that the couple had also released a video showing the little boy chewing on his mom’s finger and sucking on a dummy. His aunt Sarah Evans went on to say that the video was proof that Alfie was aware of his surroundings.
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On March 6th, 2018, a second hearing involved three judges who upheld the verdict against the wishes of the little boy’s parents. A further attempt to the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court on March 20th proved futile. On April 11th 2018, Justice Hayden was further asked to review the case at London High Court after a video was submitted to him for review.
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Judge Hayden upheld the decision and told the court that Alfie’s brain was almost entirely water. He added that how the parents see the footage is not the same perspective as how others review it. He then set a date for Alfie’s life support to be turned off but this cannot be published for legal reasons. Alfie’s parents said that their little boy is about to be executed and it could happen tomorrow.
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Tom and Kate fear that their little boy’s life may be snuffed out very soon now that the court h as ruled in favor of the hospital in a high profile case that had been going on for sometime. The couple lost their cases at the Supreme Court as well as the European court of Human Rights when the judge reviewing a video ruled in favor of the hospital withdrawing his life support.
The parents who are now devastated after exhaustive attempts of a filed legal battle have been given a date when their son’s life support will be withdrawn but that has not been revealed as yet to the public.
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“On February 20 I gave a conclusion after six days of evidence after which Mr Evans cross examined doctors with conspicuous skill and manifest sincerity. “
But I came to the conclusion at the end of than hearing that Alfie’s brain had been so corrupted by mitochondrial disease that his life was futile. By the time I came to conclude the case the terrible reality is that almost the entirety of Alfie’s brain had been eroded, leaving only water and spinal fluid. “
Even at the end of February the connective pathways within the brain had been obliterated. They were no longer even identifiable.”
While making out his ruling the Judge said “That Alfie is a much loved little boy is beyond any doubt. “We understand this is a difficult time for Alfie’s family and we would ask that their privacy is respected.
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Alfie’s case drew intervention from the Pope, The White House and West England MEP Seven Woolfe who said that he had visited the child and saw him respond positively to his mother and family. “'When I went to see them [Alfie's parents] I saw Alfie. He’s a wonderful little boy. When his uncle walked in the room and started talking you could see reactions in his eyes and his face and his arms and that has pushed me on more to try to fight for him.'
In a tweet the Holy Father said The Holy Father tweeted: “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.”
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Mr Wolfe had met hospital officials a week earlier along with Tom Evans, the boy’s father to ask them to reconsider because they believed the child’s condition was improving but it somehow seems that the hospital has adopted a vindictive stance as if reviewing an appeal of a convict sentenced to death.
Woolfe was given a false assumption that the hospital was about to reconsider their decision and allowing Alfie to travel to a hospital in the Vatican for treatment but within an hour of the meeting, the officials contacted the high court to set a ruling on killing the child.
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Alfie’s case has attracted huge media attention and drawn support from the public who has protested in huge numbers outside the hospital. Termed the “Alfie Army”, tens of thousands of supporters rallied to campaign for the boy’s right to life. People from all over the world have sent messages of support to the parents.
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Even shop windows and cars in Merseyside started displaying messages like “Alfie Army ‘Signs showing their staunch support for the parents fighting for the boy’s life. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case. To sum up the present situation in MEP Woolfe’s words 'I beg them to give them the option of saving Alfie rather than pursuing this case today to end his life in the next few days”
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Media defying the ban has just reported that Alfie’s death is scheduled for tomorrow the 13th of April but his parents have now made a last ditched appeal to be allowed to.
Defying a British publication ban, foreign media are reporting that Alfie Evans’ life support will be removed tomorrow. However, his parents have appealed the decision in a last-minute attempt to be allowed to determine their son’s course of care.
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