A judge has set the date and time to withdraw little Alfie Evans’ life support over his parents objections. However that date and time have not been made publicly available.
After hearing at the high court, Justice Hayden set the date for when Alder Hey Children’s Hospital can remove Alfie Evans’ life support — despite his parents not consenting. For legal reasons none of the details of the ruling today can be revealed publicly. The hospital was legally required to go back to the court to determine the date as they were not able to reach an agreement with Alfie’s family.
Although he’s not a medical professional, Justice Hayden seems to think Alfie is beyond hope and made medical claims not consistent with what Alfie’s parents see on a day to day basis. He looked at videos showing Alfie responding to his parents.
Presiding, Mr Justice Hayden told the court Alfie’s brain was ‘almost entirely water’ and added what the parents see in the footage ‘is not the same as what others might see’.
He agreed to review the footage before making any decision but did not change his mind about treatment being withdrawn. He then set a date for Alfie’s life support to be turned off, which cannot be published for legal reasons.
The judge said he was not able to give a medical opinion and was watching them out of ‘courtesy and kindness’.
Mr Justice Hayden said: ‘Lady Justice King in the Court of Appeal on 8 March circumscribed my role today as to help broker if possible or to determine if necessary the terms of the end of life plan and the date for withdrawal of artificial ventilation.
‘Every word of this case so far has been in the public domain but this aspect seems to me to now be so exquisitely personal and private that the public interest must give way on these matters to Alfie’s privacy.’
The family’s barrister Paul Diamond asked Mr Justice Hayden to look at the videos in a last minute bid to get a new independent assessment of Alfie’s condition.
Mr Diamond said: ‘Mr Evans says the last three weeks, the reducing of drug intake, he thinks his son is showing signs of cognitive improvement.
‘We do think there’s scope for negotiation. Tom Evans is entirely shocked by this progressive consultation, they thought as reasonable people it should be explored, this offer by the Italian hospital. They think there’s undue haste being taken on this for some reasons they don’t understand.’
Mr Justice Hayden watched the videos in private out of what he described as ‘courtesy and kindness’.
Alfie’s parents were not at the hearing, which is continuing.
The parents of little Alfie Evans have spent a long time in court fighting a hospital’s attempt to remove his life support without their permission. Unfortunately they have failed at every single court level where they have tried to protect the right to life of their little boy.
After seemingly having an eleventh-hour agreement from the hospital to transfer Alfie to another hospital that is actually willing to provide appropriate Medical Care and treatment, the British base hospital where he is reneged on its agreement.
As LifeNews initially reported, the hospital that fought a court battle to yank little Evans’ life support without his parents permission had relented — if only for the moment. The hospital said it will not shut off Evans’ life support after Pope Francis intervened on his behalf. The delay supposedly meant there would now be a series of meetings to discuss the best options for Alfie – including the possibility of treatment abroad, which is what his parents have fought for all along.
Steven Woolfe, MEP for North West England, visited Alfie at his bedside and later spoke to officials at Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool.
But then, the hospital appeared to go behind Alife’s parents’ backs and asked for a court hearing on a date to remove the life support.
Alfie’s parents have been worried the life support could be withdrawn soon.
Parents Tom Evans and Kate James said on the Alfie Army Facebook page that they had received notice about tomorrow’s hearing despite having asked for a week to go through paperwork and said: “Tomorrow could be the day is executed”.
He wrote: “Was notified by legal team today that justice Hayden has listed the hearing for half 12 tomorrow even though my team asked for one week to go through paperwork.
“Tomorrow could be the day is executed as you can see on the vent he can clearly breathe when he wants to as well as cough, sneeze, yawn, stretch, swallow, spit etc.
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“Alder Hey want to take this life from us, from him.”
He added that while Alfie had previously been showing signs of improvement, last night he was having frequent seizures.
Tests showed Alfie had a urine infection and part of his right lung had collapsed and his left lung had consolidation on it.
Tom added the medication should make Alfie “better in days” and said : “The ventilator is not a cure it’s a temporary machine to support lungs. His antibiotics have got him through everything.”
He said: “His features haven’t changed, he hasn’t stopped growing, he responds to as much as he can, he fights through seizures without any effect taking to him.
“As I have said all along our son is not dying why should this have to happen to him?”
