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Terminally-ill British toddler Alfie Evans has died

Alfie Evans - the terminally-ill toddler at the centre of a high-profile legal battle in the UK -...
Newstalk
Newstalk

09.03 28 Apr 2018


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Terminally-ill British toddler...

Terminally-ill British toddler Alfie Evans has died

Newstalk
Newstalk

09.03 28 Apr 2018


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Alfie Evans - the terminally-ill toddler at the centre of a high-profile legal battle in the UK - has died, his parents have confirmed.

The 23-month-old had a degenerative neurological condition, and was in a semi-vegetative state at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool.

He died at around 2.30am this morning, several days after his life support was turned off on Monday.

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Tom Evans and Kate James confirmed their son had passed away, with the couple taking to social media overnight to say they were 'heartbroken' by their son's death.

Alfie's parents had launched a high-profile legal battle in a bid to take him to Italy for treatment.

A judge in the UK described Alfie as "courageous" and a "warrior", but ultimately accepted medical evidence which showed that further treatment for the young boy was futile.

Balloons and banners tied to a bus stop outside Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Picture by: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/PA Images

The High Court judge's decision was upheld on appeal, while the UK's Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights refused to hear further appeals.

The case drew widespread international attention, and Tom Evans recently met Pope Francis - with the pontiff expressing his support for the family.

In a statement this morning, Alder Hey Hospital said: "We wish to express our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to Alfie’s family at this extremely distressing time.

"All of us feel deeply for Alfie, Kate, Tom and his whole family and our thoughts are with them. This has been a devastating journey for them and we would ask that their privacy and the privacy of staff at Alder Hey is respected."


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