As the British courts and the medical staff at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, England, refuse to allow 23-month-old Alfie Evans to be flown to Italy for treatment, which is his parents demand — Italy has granted the suffering child citizenship — the president of Poland spoke out by Twitter, saying that “Alfie Evans must be saved!”
Alfie Evans suffers from a degenerative neurological condition and the Alder Hey Hospital officials claim he will never recover, and that it is in “his best interests” to be taken off all life-sustaining measures and allowed to die. His parents, Tom Evans and Kate Jones, have been fighting for months to have their son treated elsewhere; Italian doctors have agreed to try to help the child.
However, through British court intervention and National Health Service rules, the parents no longer can decide their child’s medical fate and the hospital staff have decided to let the child die. On Monday, April 23, Alfie was taken off a ventilator.
Although doctors reportedly said he would not last long without the ventilator, Alfie has been breathing on his own for more than 30 hours. After six hours, the hospital started to give him water. On Wednesday, it was reported that Alfie was given some food.
“Alfie Evans must be saved!” tweeted Polish President Andrzej Duda on April 25.
“His brave little body has proved again that the miracle of life can be stronger than death,” said the president. “Perhaps all that’s needed is some good will on the part of decision makers.”
“Alfie, we pray for you and your recovery!” said Duda.
On Monday, April 23, Pope Francis tweeted, “Moved by the prayers and immense solidarity shown little Alfie Evans. I renew my appeal that the suffering of his parents may be heard and that their desire to seek new forms of treatment may be granted.”
Pope Francis met with Alfie’s father, Thomas Evans, on April 18 in Rome, where the father pleaded with the Pope to intervene. Not long thereafter, Alfie was granted Italian citizenship.
Cruxnow.com, a Catholic publication, reported on April 23 that the Pope “directed the Vatican’s Secretariat of State to do what it can diplomatically to help Alfie come to Rome’s Bambino Gesu children’s hospital, which is owned by the Vatican.”
(Courtesy of CNSNews.com)
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