THE POPE has offered his support to the family of Liverpool toddler Alfie Evans, whose parents are fighting to keep him on life support.
It comes after Tom Evans, the father of the 22-month-old, issued a plea to the pontiff as he bids to keep his son alive.
The youngster is suffering from an undiagnosed neuro-degenerative disease and has been at Alder Hey hospital since he was six months old.
In a tweet this evening, the pontiff said: “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.”
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.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 4, 2018
Last month, the European Court of Human Rights said the decision of Britain’s High Courts to allow doctors to stop treating Alfie did not violate his human rights.
Alfie has been at Alder Hey since December 2016 when he was admitted with a respiratory tract infection and seizures, before his condition deteriorated.
Alder Hey now believe that continued active treatment is futile and not in Alfie’s best interests.
The toddler’s parents, Tom Evans and Kate James, have argued that their son responds to stimuli and “is showing every possible sign that he could to tell us that he wants to get better”.
The hospital though believe that “given the extensive damage in Alfie’s brain, any movements were reflexes and could not be the result of conscious or purposeful movement”.
Alfie's parents had fought a legal battle to take control of his care and had hoped to take him to Rome for treatment.
