Alfie Evans was living in a coma for well over a year after being struck down with a mystery illness. The 23-month-old missed many developmental milestones in his first seven months.
He started making “jerking, seizure-like movements” and was taken to the doctors – but his parents were told he was “lazy and a late developer”, the family claim. Alfie caught a chest infection that caused seizures and was placed on life support at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool in December 2016. His life support was turned off on April 23, 2018, after a last-ditch bid by his parents was rejected.
He passed away at 2:30am on April 28, 2018, five days later. Parents Tom Evans and Kate James broke the news to their Alfie’s Army supporters on Facebook, saying: “Our baby boy grew his wings tonight at 2:30 am. We are heartbroken.”
Some experts believed he might have had a mitochondrial condition – the same as Charlie Gard. After he was admitted to Alder Hey, his parents were told he wasn’t going to make it – but he fought back to beat the infection and began breathing on his own. But he caught another chest infection and had to go back on a ventilator when he began having more chronic seizures. Alfie was described as being in a semi-vegetative state and doctors at Alder Hey said it was in his best interest to stop mechanical ventilation.