New High Court battle over a sick baby case - UK

The court ruled today that Alfie cannot go to Rome for treatment
The only hope now as I understand it is for Alfie to be allowed to go home with his parents

 

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

"Thank you so much for keeping us informed… our hearts are so heavy with the murderous injustice of this government…. Nita in Alaska…." —Email from a reader



"Thank you for standing up for Alfie and his parents' rights." —Email from a reader



"Thank you for your posts. I am in tears with every update. So much heartache for no reason. And I am sad for our world. A major call for prayer and a return to truth, I believe. What more does Our Lord need to do to shake us awake?" —Email from a reader





"No sleep for three days, nothing but torture and deprivation. Our boy continues to fight with no suffering or indication of pain." —Tom Evans, Alfie's 21-year-old father, in a Facebook post this evening



============



Tonight, Alfie yet lives...



As I write, little Alfie is still alive and breathing, without his breathing machinery, which was detached Monday night at 9:17 p.m. — more than 48 hours ago.



...but his parents cannot take him out of the hospital or fly him to Italy



However, a three-judge panel this afternoon rejected his parents' appeal of a Tuesday High Court decision that denied their request to take Alfie to Italy, to the Bambino Gesu hospital, for a possibly different protocol of medical care...



So Alfie is alive, but he is not free.



And, this afternoon, his mother's lawyer said Alfie is now beginning to "struggle" to breathe.


==============



And now, a blogger's chilling theory...



This evening, a reader sent the following text to me, which comes from the website "Alfie'sArmyOfficial," the Facebook page of Alfie's supporters.



I cannot confirm or deny the allegation it makes. But since we are now at "one minute before midnight," we are in an emergency situation which seems to require some action from some new actor, and the allegation made, if even partially true, may spark such action. It is in this hope that I post the following:



"The reason the Government and hospital want this child to die is that if he reaches his second birthday, then he is entitled to compensation for his vaccine injury. Not only will this cost money, but it will make the reality of vaccine injury very, very public. The pharmaceutical/medical mafia is behind this case for sure. Why do you think the hospital won’t let him transfer to another country? Why do you think they care so much? There is a big reason. Wake up and smell the agenda."



Alfie was born on May 9, 2016. If he lives, he will turn 2 years old on May 9, 2018. That is 14 days away.



================================


Here are excerpts from a Guardian report on the latest events in this case:



Alfie Evans: court rejects last-ditch appeal over treatment abroad (link)


Court of appeal backs earlier decision preventing seriously ill boy’s parents from flying him to Italy



By Ben Quinn


Wed 25 Apr 2018 19.35 BST


A court has rejected a last-ditch appeal by the parents of the seriously ill boy Alfie Evans against a ruling preventing them from flying him to Rome for treatment.



Three court of appeal judges on Wednesday backed the decision made at the high court the previous day to deny the request after Alfie was granted Italian citizenship.



The ruling followed a flurry of legal arguments by lawyers for Tom Evans and Kate James, the parents of the 23-month-old, who was said to be “struggling” on Wednesday after being taken off life support.



They included the claim that medical staff involved in the boy’s treatment could face criminal charges in Italy if he dies.



The parents, from Liverpool, were not at the court in London for the hearing.

While arrangements had been made to allow Evans to listen via a phonelink, technical difficulties appear to have prevented him doing so.



However, among those present was the chief of staff of the Italian embassy, who was said to be ready to give immediate instructions to a “military grade” air ambulance that had been put on standby to bring the boy to Italy at the request of the Pope.


As the legal argument got under way on Wednesday, a man and woman believed to be from a German air ambulance crew were escorted from Alder Hey children’s hospital, where Alfie has been treated for the past 16 months.



The high court ruled on Tuesday that Alfie may be allowed home from Alder Hey, where his life support has been withdrawn following a long legal fight, but barred the parents from taking their son to the hospital in Vatican City. [Note: actually the hospital is near Vatican City, not in Vatican City, but it is administered by the Vatican.]



Mr Justice Hayden said that although Alfie had been a “fighter” since his life support had removed, his undiagnosed degenerative condition had “almost entirely wiped out” his brain matter and he stood no chance of recovery.

 

On Wednesday, the appeal judges heard that Kate James was now represented by a different barrister, Jason Coppel QC, who said she had told him by telephone: “Alfie is struggling and needs immediate intervention.”



Coppel advanced arguments on grounds that ranged from drawing on legislation governing EU freedom of movement through to suggesting that the child’s new Italian citizenship was a change in circumstances that should be taken into account.



An “erroneous” decision in the UK could open up the doctors who had been involved in treating Evans to criminal proceedings in Italy, he added.



He also followed the lead of the barrister representing Alfie’s father in arguing that there had also been a change of circumstances in that the boy had been surpassing expectations of how he would cope after his breathing tube had been removed 48 hours earlier.



Paul Diamond QC, for Tom Evans, argued that there had been a “significant change of circumstances” because Alfie was still breathing after life support treatment had stopped.



He added that the parents were not seeking a “miracle cure” in Italy but wanted recognition that the context in which the palliative care that had previously been considered had now changed.



Emphasising the Catholic faith of Alfie’s parents, he said that there was no consensus about what constituted dignity, adding: “Where there is a lack of consensus the court should be mindful of that. Otherwise we are in a situation where the court is imposing values on people, which is improper.”



(...)



Rejecting the arguments put forward by the legal counsel for the parents, Michael Mylonas QC, said that the doctors had never said that the child’s death would be instantaneous after his ventilator had been removed.



Contrary to what counsel for the parents suggested, there was no new medical evidence, he added. “It has never been said to this family that Alfie would die immediately or before sundown.”



While it had been suggested that there was a change in circumstances that gave greater weight to allowing Alfie to be transported by air to Italy, Mylonas rejected this, telling the judges: “Alfie stands exactly the same risk of brain damage in transit.”



He said the “tragedy” for the parents was that Alfie looked like a normal child.



Lord Justice McFarlane said the family had the “awful journey” from getting to know their baby, only for signs to appear two or three months later that “all was not well.”



The judges gave rulings on the appeals brought by the father first and then by Alfie’s mother, rejecting them on all grounds.



================



So that was that.



The appeal to be allowed to take Alfie out of the hospital was rejected.



=================



Meanwhile, this just in from the capable Christopher Lamb, reporting for The Tablet Catholic weekly of London:


Alder Hey doing everything 'humanly possible' to help Alfie says Archbishop



25 April 2018



by Christopher Lamb in Rome



The Archbishop of Liverpool has told Pope Francis that Catholics in Liverpool are “heartbroken” by the Alfie Evans case while telling The Tablet that the medical and chaplaincy team at the city’s Alder Hey hospital have been doing everything that is “humanly possible” to help the seriously ill toddler.



Speaking from Rome, Archbishop Malcolm McMahon explained that he saw the Pope after attending the general audience in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday 25 April and had a brief discussion with Francis.



“I saw the Holy Father after Wednesday General audience and we talked about Alfie. I was struck by his compassionate attitude to both Alfie and his parents, and he promised me he is continuing to pray for them,” the archbishop said.



“I explained to him that the Catholic people of Liverpool are heartbroken for Alfie and his parents and are continuing offer support and prayers..."



British judges have repeatedly ruled against the child’s parents wish to bring Alfie to Rome to be cared for at the Holy See’s Bambino Gesu hospital. Italy has now granted the child citizenship.



On Wednesday evening, however, the Court of Appeal upheld an earlier ruling denying the latest legal attempt Kate James, 20, and Tom Evans, 21 to have their son transferred from Alder Hey.



(...)





Archbishop McMahon offered his support for Alder Hey whose 2017 inspection report rated it as providing “outstanding” care while stressing hospital’s chaplaincy team have offered pastoral support to Alfie’s family and staff at the hospital since the child was admitted in December 2016.



“I am grateful for the medical and chaplaincy care which Alfie is receiving,” the archbishop said. “I know that they are doing everything that his humanly possible. And our prayer at this difficult moment is that the Lord will give everyone the spiritual strength to face the immediate future."



(...)



It has also been reported that a priest in the Archdiocese of Westminster, Fr Gabriele Brusco, a member of the Legionaries of the Christ, administered the sacrament of the anointing of the sick to Alfie.



While blessing and offering prayers for a sick child is regular pastoral practice, Canon Law states that the sacrament of anointing is administered to those who have “reached the use of reason” and not in the case of a small child such as Alfie.



The anointing for those who are sick or seriously ill is offered to console and help but also on the presupposition that the individual has sinned in some way.



===========================



Here again is the poem I wrote this morning in honor of Alfie.



Lines Written in Hope, and Admiration, from Rome, and in Denunciation of the British Legal System, While Alfie Still Lives

To Alfie, Son of Albion

April 25, 2018, Rome

Go on, young Alfie, son of Albion,
Fearless fighter in a soulless age,
With every shallow breath, while judges rage,
To the very end, beyond all hope.

Go on, young Alfie, son of Tom,
Lion-hearted soul, without a trace
Of calculation, hypocrisy or fear,
With eyes that, after all, are crystal clear.

Go on, dear Alfie, son of Albion,
And may your name be praised in time to come
By a race that once stood proud and free
But now has bowed before false law's decree.

Live on, young Alfie, strong and free,
Under God, who willed that you might be.

 

I believe that England in its courts has sanctioned murder. It is such a monstrous evil being perpetrated here that words just simply fail. I get a chilling image of this outrage as a very large drop splashing into the chalice of God’s wrath. It is sadly the face of a deeper hidden onslaught against children in and out of the womb. And a cold calculating state machine that grinds on.

 

so true, I agree with this post but had a hard time liking it, cus it's just so sad where we are at in the world. May our Lord have mercy on us all.

 

The English bishops seem more interested in covering their own backs and those of the hospital unions and establishment. It reminds me of the great line in Clint Eastwood's 'The Outlaw Josie Wales', and please forgive the vulgarity:

"Don't piss on my back and tell me it's raining".

That Big Pharma theory is very plausible.

 

Having read this thread, it is somewhat disturbing to see the whole argument is based on a child damaged by some inoculation who is permanently brain damaged being kept alive so the unmarried parents can sue someone for what has happened.

I hope the child survives in spite of everyone involved; but if God takes this little soul home to Heaven, his soul will be saved. What are his chances of salvation if he is left to grow up in a degenerate society in the care of parents who are living in mortal sin.

Or am I missing something in all this.

 

2 Tim 3:1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people.

This reality is so cruel at times, especially when such persons hold positions of authority, decision-making, and power. This is why prayer is so crucial in this godless age, for if we fail to reverence the Lord Jesus in our hearts, how can we expect to be holy or more humane. Lord Jesus, have mercy!

Safe Under Mary's Mantle!

 

Live on, young Alfie, strong and free,
Under God, who willed that you might be.

Hard to read this and not weep.

 

A quote from the article:

More hapily, about 40 minutes ago, Alfie's Army sent out the following message: ''Over 60 hours and still going strong, its time Alder Hey did the right thing and release Alfie to doctors willing and ready to help this boy get some answers.''

Julia,

The issues revolving around the eternal destiny of Alfie and the sad, modern reality of unwed Catholics living together and having children (important as they are) is not what we're up in arms about here. Rather, it is the God-given authority of parents to make choices for their children which is being usurped- that is our concern. My wife and I, who have enjoyed the freedom of home-schooling our six children, see this abusive usurpation of authority by State operatives as a precursor of the Beast's kingdom; I am grieved.

Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!

 

Padraig,
Beautiful post
I also think that the Big Pharma theory may play a role here in this case

 

Precursors of the beast’s kingdom for sure

 

I went online to Alfie’s Army
I learned that he has been hospitalized since December 2016
And from what I understand, there has been no official diagnosis in all this time
It stinks
Something is awry here Big Time

 

uesday, April 24, 2018, #2

Breaking, 6:45 p.m., London time:



Alfie is still breathing, and a helicopter is now waiting outside the Liverpool hospital where he is staying.



The helicopter is ready to carry him to a British military airport, where a plane will carry him to Rome.



But the British legal authorities have not yet decided whether to allow him to leave the hospital.



(link)



(Below, Tom Evans with his son Alfie earlier today)







=========================



Ten Reflections on the Alfie Case



1. The courage of little Alfie.



Little Alfie Evans is still breathing on his own as of this writing, more than 20 hours after being removed from a breathing tube last night at 9:17 p.m., London time.



Whatever else now happens, Alfie has already made a statement with an exclamation point which must never be forgotten.



And that statement is: "I, little Alfie, am a fighter... to the end."



2. The undeniable error of the doctors.



By continuing to breathe, when he was expected to die within minutes after being taken off of his respiration machinery, Alfie has proven a point: that his doctors were, at least in this, wrong.



They underestimated his strength and will to live.



This will remain true even if Alfie succumbs and dies in the coming hours.



3. The lack of credibility of the overall diagnosis.



By insisting on their diagnosis, and then testing it by removing the respiration equipment against the parents' wishes and even pleas — for the parents' too believed Alfie would die in minutes when taken off the respiration machinery — the doctors have undermined their credibility also in regard to their general diagnosis of Alfie's condition.



4. The unacceptable "dehumanization" of Alfie.



It has been written and repeated a thousand times that Alfie is in a "vegetative" state.



That "70% of his brain" has been "destroyed."



That Alfie is, in a profound way, no longer a human being, but only, now, a "vegetable."



Lacking the characteristic mental functions of a human being. Therefore, a "sub-human," a being who has (tragically, perhaps, it may be admitted) "fallen beneath the threshold" of being "human" because of his illness.



This is said to be the sad but undeniable "truth" about his case.



And because this is the sad but undeniable truth, all those who do not accept the conclusion — that Alfie has already ceased to be human, and so to allow, or assist, his physical death is not in any way immoral, but only the logical (if sad) conclusion any "reasonable" person should draw — are "unreasonable," with the implication that they are "fanatics."



And the repetition of this affirmation, that Alfie is in an irreversible vegetative state, has led many to be persuaded that his parents, Tom Evans, 21, and Kate James, 20, moved by the understandable — but ultimately unreasonable and excessive — love of any parent for their child, and his small "army" of defenders, are — in some fundamental way, in the final analysis — "unreasonable" people.



Unable to "accept reality."



Unable to accept a medical "fact" that, in its most crude form, is expressed in this way: "Alfie is a vegetable, not a human being."



And more, can never be anything other than a vegetable — can never return to being a "human being."



This is the total "dehumanization" of Alfie that has been accomplished.



And this is one of the most horrifying aspects of this case.



Because....



5. Alfie is not a vegetable!



He is a very sick little boy... but not a vegetable... not a carrot, or a pea-pod, or a zucchini or yellow squash...



He is a human boy, he has a name, and he therefore has the inalienable dignity and rights of every human being...



6. And he opens his eyes!



The impression given by much of the coverage of this story is that Alfie is lying in a coma, silent, unmoving, on the very edge of death, and has been lying in a coma for a year and a half... and that his loving parents are really unrealistic when they continue to seek ways to care for him, and possibly even to bring him back into a state of consciousness.



But this impression is not accurate!



There is a video taken by his parents just a few hours ago after the breathing apparatus was removed which shows Alfie... opening his eyes!



And looking into the eyes of his father, who is calling his name!



Is there a flicker of recognition in Alfie's eyes, when he sees his father?



You be the judge... Here is a link to that video (link).



And there is a second video from April 20, just four days ago, showing Tom Evans talking to his son just after his flight to Rome to see Pope Francis, and showing little Alfie opening his eyes and staring, evidently with a kind of recognition (I would argue, after watching the video several times) into his father's eyes.



Here is that video (link).



7. Vaccinations, medications for epileptic seizures, and antibiotics.



In reporting on this story, there has been relatively little coverage of three "facts": that Alfie received



(a) "many" vaccinations and then



(b) "many" medications for "epileptic seizures" and finally



(c) "many" courses of antibiotics for infections.

 

This issue, for context, requires a brief recapitulation of Alfie's entire situation from a medical perspective.



There is a summary of questions and answers about the medical issues in this case printed in the Liverpool Echo on February 24, two months ago. Here is a link to that story (link).



And here is that story, which is worth reading in full.



There is a brief introduction, then a series of questions and answers. The answers of the hospital doctors are in italics.



======================



The Liverpool Echo Article



Have Alder Hey 'given up' on Alfie Evans? Doctors answer your questions (link)



Hospital says why it cannot cure Alfie, why it has gone to court and why it opposes him going to another hospital


By Tom Belger, Social Affairs Reporter


11:20, 24 FEB 2018


The fate of brain-damaged Alfie Evans will be decided next week at another court hearing over his life support.



Alder Hey hospital won a high court bid on Tuesday [February 20] to withdrawn ventilation for the 21-month-old, who is in a “deep coma” in their critical care unit.



But Alfie’s parents Tom Evans and Kate James have continued their fight, and hope a Court of Appeal judge will allow them to appeal at a hearing on Thursday, March 1.



They believe Alfie has a right to live and should be transferred to another hospital abroad to continue the search for a diagnosis and cure.



Tens of thousands of supporters have rallied around their struggle for their son, forming a group called “Alfie’s Army”.



The case has put Alder Hey under heavy scrutiny, and this week hospital chiefs have published a defence and explanation of their actions.



Here is what Alder Hey says in response to reportedly common questions -- though some facts and doctors’ conclusions are disputed by Alfie’s family:



What is Alfie Evans suffering from?



“Alfie has a progressive neuro-degenerative disease associated with severe epilepsy.



“Children with neuro-degenerative diseases are often born with no symptoms of these diseases and appear perfectly healthy. Sadly over time symptoms of the disease develop as vital nerve tissue is destroyed."



“Those affected will gradually lose ability to eat, smile, communicate, swallow and breathe.





“The vast majority of neuro-degenerative diseases are irreversible and have no treatment or cure.



“Due to his Epilepsy, Alfie also experiences numerous and regular seizures, particularly when exposed to light or touch.”



Why can doctors at Alder Hey not fully diagnose his condition?



“It is exceptionally difficult to establish exactly what type of neuro-degenerative condition Alfie has. Many investigations and genetic testing have taken place but we have not yet been able to 100% confirm a specific condition.



“However, we know that Alfie has a neuro-degenerative condition and medical experts from Alder Hey and other hospitals, both in the UK and abroad, have agreed that it is irreversible and untreatable.



“A firm diagnosis would perhaps help us to understand why he has this condition but would not help identify any additional treatment that would reverse his symptoms or make him better.”





Have the hospital given up on Alfie?



“We haven’t ‘given up’. We have a team at Alder Hey of the very best neurology specialists who have made every effort possible to find a way to treat Alfie.



“We have also consulted various external opinions including those requested by Alfie’s family. Alfie sadly has remained unresponsive to every available treatment.


“Sadly we have to recognize that we have reached the limit of what we can possibly do. Alfie’s condition is irreversible and untreatable and we therefore have to consider what we believe is in his best interests.”



What treatment has Alfie received?



“

 

Alfie has received the full support of Alder Hey’s medical and nursing teams since being admitted. He has received numerous antibiotics for infections and a significant number of anti-epileptic medications to treat his seizures.



“Sadly he has remained unresponsive to treatment and his condition has rapidly declined. He continues to be given the appropriate support necessary on our specialist critical care unit. This includes supported ventilation to allow him to breathe and assisted feeding via a gastric tube.”



Why do some images show Alfie responding and smiling?


“Children with these conditions can often look well and movements can still be seen, despite the destruction of brain and spinal cord tissue.



“However EEG -- which means testing electrical activity from the surface of the brain -- tests and imaging of his brain have confirmed the medical opinion that Alfie’s movements or expressions, opening an eye or appearing to smile, are related to seizures or reflexes.



“Alfie has many seizures throughout the day and they are often brought on by touch or light exposure. This can sadly give an illusion that he is moving in response to stimulation.”



Why has Alder Hey gone to court?



“Alder Hey is a specialist children’s hospital which means we treat children with very complex and critical conditions. Sadly some of these children are unable to recover from their illness.



“We will always seek to reach agreement with parents of the child concerned. However this is an exceedingly rare situation where agreement has not been reached following many discussions and mediation meetings.


“The clinical team believe that continued active treatment is futile and we have therefore referred his case to the Family Division of the High Court who have determined what is in Alfie’s best interests.”



Why is the decision on his future not up to Alfie’s parents?



“We have tried very hard to reach agreement with Alfie’s parents about his care. However despite mediation, agreement has not been reached.



“We sympathise and understand how difficult this is for Alfie’s family but our clinicians have a professional obligation to always put the interests of the child they are treating first.



“As agreement has not been reached, the law states that the decision about what is in Alfie’s best interest should be referred to the family court system.”



Why won’t Alder Hey let Alfie go to Rome for treatment?



“The clinicians from Rome have agreed with Alder Hey’s prognosis and have not offered a treatment solution for Alfie.



“They have offered to take him to their hospital but agree there is nothing they can do to help or improve his condition. Further invasive procedures have been suggested but they will not help him recover.



“Our clinicians are professionally obliged to always consider what is in a patient’s best interest. We do not believe that it is in Alfie’s best interests to go to Rome and be subjected to invasive and painful procedures when there is no hope of recovery or a cure.”





[End, Liverpool Echo February 24 article on Alfie's medical condition explained by doctors]



=====================



These are the significant words: "He has received numerous antibiotics for infections and a significant number of anti-epileptic medications to treat his seizures."



In addition, someone close to the family, a supporter of Alfie and his parents, has advised that Alfie received "many" vaccinations against various diseases as an infant, and that "many" vaccinations were administered at one time.



Could there be some evidence in this collection of answers to explain why a seemingly "normal" infant boy should have fallen into a coma?



8. The new royal baby... and the task of science to improve human health...



Yesterday, April 23 — on the same day that England's judicial system rejected the appeals of Alfie's parents to keep him on respiration machines, allowing his to be detached from those machines at 9:17 p.m., London time — Great Britain's royal couple, Prince William and Princess Kate, were blessed with a healthy child.



Congratulations to them!



A respected Italian Catholic editorialist, Alberto Bobbio, connected the two events in an editorial this morning. Here is the link, and here is part of his text:



"Alfie is alive, like the royal baby.



"St. George, patron saint of the English, did the miracle, yesterday when his feast day is celebrated.



"Kate and William were radiant in London.



"Kate and Thomas in Liverpool had tears in their eyes...



"There are thousands and thousands of children in the world in Alfie's condition. It happens because there are diseases of which we know nothing, diseases we can neither treat nor diagnose, but we still should not raise the white flag of surrender. It always happened that unknown diseases eventually became known. Science cannot give up. But the English court judgments have also routed science."



So the supporters of Alfie are not opposed to medicine or doctors. They are in fact very science-minded: they dream of a world in which such diseases are understood, and cured.



9. St. George: The three miracles he performed on his Feast Day April 23



St. George seemed to have accomplished three miracles yesterday.



First, Italy granted Alfie Italian citizenship, at the last moment, giving hope that Alfie might be able to leave England for the Bambino Gesu hospital in Rome.



Second, the royal couple, Kate and William had a healthy baby.



And third, Alfie was taken off of his respirator, but continued breathing.



10. The changing image of Pope Francis.



Finally, one of the most remarkable aspects of this case is how Pope Francis is being viewed by conservative, pro-life Catholics.



By energetically, publicly, coming to the aid of Alfie and his parents, Francis is now being viewed by conservative, pro-life Catholics with much deeper respect and affection.



Such Catholics have tended to be "luke-warm" toward Francis, because, though Francis has been consistently "pro-life" in his teaching, he has seemed to "pro-lifers" to underplay the need of Catholics to be "pro-life" by stressing the need always to defend the unborn, but also all people at all stages of life.



Last night [April 23, at 9:15 p.m. Rome time — shortly before Alfie was removed from his respirator] — Francis dedicated a tweet to Alfie and his parents:



"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."



Catholic canon lawyer Ed Condon, a thoughtful conservative (he has also written for Inside the Vatican magazine, link), then commented in a tweet: "The heroic support of the Holy Father for the dignity of Alfie Evans, his right to life, and the right of his parents to care for him, is one of most powerful and principled exercises of the moral authority of the papacy in recent times, and typical of Pope Francis."



A fourth miracle of St. George?

 

Yes of course Mario, and I too am concerned about any possibility of anyone from cradle to tomb being exterminated like an unwanted piece of meat. And God forbid that could happen to this little child.

I can't envision the staff from consultants to ancillary being anything but caring and compassionate in their daily duties around the sick. But we do have a duty before God to acknowledge all those who will have dedicated their skills and abilities to taking every step and measure to find a way to restore this little child to health.

I wonder how much we are made aware of the whole story about this. For example, the medical staff will be unable to reveal much on account of 'patient confidentiality,' so they are effectively gagged. On the other hand the parents and those fighting in the affray can make as big a noise as they like to get what they perceive as justice for this child.

Little Alfie has no doubt received the Sacraments of the Catholic Church appropriate to his tender age. I wonder if that would ever have happened had he been healthy. We know parents who are not living the Faith are not encouraged to have their children Baptised these days; a sad reality. You might ask what does it take for a child to be Baptised.....A Big International Scandal seems to have been Alfie's passport into the Heavenly Kingdom. What about all the other babies and children who are left to die spiritually. Who cares about them.

For me, Alfie needs us to storm Heaven with love and appreciation, for the medical staff who have tried everything they know how; but have failed to find a solution. Surely that is when God is moved to work miracles. When human medical advancement shows how weak and incapable it truly is, all could be humbled in the sight of God, enabling Him to grant the miracle of healing required for this little child. God help and protect Alfie and all vulnerable souls on this earth.

The last time a tragedy like this happened, doctors in USA and Italy were ready to try and help. Then when they came to England and saw first hand the medical findings, which the public are not privy to.... those doctors agreed with the UK doctors about the outcome for the other little child.

I do think we need to look for the good in these people with responsibility for our health and wellbeing. Other wise we have become a people who are out to correct the Pope, the Prime Minister and any person of authority that does not see it our way. We need to pray a lot more and criticize a lot less. Otherwise it all turns into a frenzy of criticism. And not a word of encouragement and gratitude for all the good that is undoubtedly still going on in this troubled world.

God loves Alfie and his parents more than any of us can imagine. Maybe Alfie will be the soul God choses to bring his parents back to the Faith, and at least three souls can be saved before all this is over. Of course God might just get kicked back to the kerb, if He does not work the magic these parents are expecting. Who knows. Julia has become very sceptical about these high profile battles. These are not God's way. IMHO

 

Julia,

Thank you for your level headed response. In the last 6 mos. I've been serving as a chaplain in the MICU at Upstate Hospital in Syracuse, NY. I have the deepest respect for the doctors and nurses and all. I've had the privilege of sitting down with a former president of the hospital. I've sat in on interdisciplinary rounds with the staff on the MICU and have been welcomed as a member of the team.

But I have to disagree with you on the issue of authority. God has established parents as the prime authority over children. Barring a situation of abuse, parents should maintain that authority. Whether the case is highly publicized or not, when an institution overrides the reasonable desires of parents and assumes custody and final decision-making powers as to the circumstances regarding when and how a child should die, they have usurped the divine order of God's plan. I believe the statement of the Hospital below indicates that in life and death situations, the parents' authority ultimately is dispensed with. The nation of Great Britain has laid waste to the authority of parents and in so doing are abandoning God.

The clinical team believe that continued active treatment is futile and we have therefore referred his case to the Family Division of the High Court who have determined what is in Alfie’s best interests.”

Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart!

 

I think too since it is such a very secular pro abortion state I would be more than a little nervous about the decisions medical staff might make in a case like this. If they would kill unborn babies then.....

...anyway as you say God gave the child to the parents, not the Doctors or Judges or the State.

There is something bizarre about the whole thing.

 

From Father Dwight Longenecker:


Alfie and the Archbishop

I’ve held back from commenting on the Alfie Evans case so far because everybody else and his brother seem to be weighing in, and to be truthful, these cases are extraordinarily complex and I’m not a medical professional.

However, I do know the Catholic principles for dealing with end of life issues. If an illness is definitely terminal, then the family does not have to resort to heroic measures to maintain life. They should, however, maintain pain relief, nutrition and hydration. Furthermore, if the family wish to seek further medical help they may do so.

If the news reports are to be believed, this case is violating Catholic end of life issues. The family could agree to turn off the life support technology, but they may choose not to. Furthermore, whatever the situation, pain relief, nutrition and hydration must be maintained until such time as the patient can no longer process them. An example of this is when the terminally ill person’s digestive system simply doesn’t accept the nutrition any longer or feeding tubes can no longer be maintained. The bottom line is that no one may take active steps to intentionally end the patient’s life.

But this seems to be exactly what the medical staff are doing, and it fits with the notorious Liverpool Care Pathway.

The fact that the Archbishop of Liverpool has taken the side of the hospital in this case is shocking. Does he not know the Catholic principles for end of life matters? Does he not stand up for them? Why on earth hasn’t Archbishop McMahon spoken clearly about the Catholic principles on end of life issues? This is not only for the sake of Alfie and his family, but it is a powerful teaching opportunity while the world’s media is watching.

Instead we get a bland, sentimental statement that the hospital has done all it possibly can. No. The medical staff are clearly contravening Catholic end of life issues. They are withholding nutrition and hydration from the child and they are therefore taking steps to intentionally end life.

Instead of siding with the British establishment in this debacle, what if this Archbishop had donned his red buttoned cassock, his scarlet cincture, biretta and feriola (that’s the cape that Fulton Sheen used to wear on TV) and marched up to the hospital feriola flying in the breeze backed by a crowd of Catholics and a medical team, walked into the hospital and scooped up that baby in his arms and walked out to the waiting helicopter?

I guarantee the hearts of Catholics the world over would leap up and pews would be filled up the following Sunday.

But no. The UK Catholic bishops are notorious for never rocking the establishment boat. They are so desperate to belong and fit in with the Crown and the Church of England that they will rarely if ever stand up to the British establishment.

It has pretty much always been so.

At the Protestant Revolution it was only St John Fisher who defied the crown. At least then, the bishops had an excuse. They had never been in such a situation before and they imagined that Henry VIII would soon change his mind and things might be resolved. Only John Fisher saw the true implications and saw the rocks onto which the boat was headed.

The rocks on which the boat is headed in this case are far more looming and ominous than just the situation with this poor little boy. What we are really witnessing here is a showdown between the authority of the UK establishment–which includes the National Health System, the judiciary and the full weight of government authority–and individual citizens. The real issue here is not Alfie Evans, but the freedom of parents to choose the right path of life for their child. The shocking irony is that if Alfie’s mother had chosen an abortion two years ago this same government would have defended to the death her right to choose to kill her child, but now they will not defend her right to choose the chance of life for her child.

The rocks ahead are also ominous because we are witnessing openly what has been happening for a long time: forced euthanasia. This one has been creeping up for a long time complete with sinister euphemisms like the “Liverpool Care Pathway” The reality is summarized in an excellent article by Charles Camosy at First Things. He comments on the judicial ruling:

But even if we suppose the judge is correct, he and others are making the case that certain profoundly disabled children are unworthy of life. And when one combines Alfie’s case with that of Charlie Gard, the UK has now established the clear and frightening precedent that parents who have a different understanding of what kinds of lives are worth living may have their children taken from them and left to die—in the children’s own best interests.

This is the real issue here and this is why the government is not backing down. If Alfie’s parents can opt out of the “Care Pathway” then any patient or their family can do likewise, and then the quiet, stealthy progress of the British euthanasia program will be hindered, and in the end, as usual, it comes down to money.

Providing long term care for chronically ill people is expensive. Gradually the reach of the euthanasia campaigners will be extended to the mentally disabled, the infirm and the elderly. If you think this is alarmist think again, and if you think you will be able to resist check out the ominous threat from the Liverpool police that they are monitoring your social media messages.

Can the Archbishop of Liverpool not see the bigger picture and just where this is headed–indeed where it already is?

The fact that the Archbishop of Liverpool has sided with the British establishment in this affair is a shocking scandal.

But it is not a surprise.

UPDATE: An English reader sends this link which gives more information on Archbishop McMahon’s collusion with the English Euthanasia Establishment: Go here.