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Air Ambulance Is 'Ready And Waiting To Take Alfie Evans' To Italy If Court Allows It

Air Ambulance Is 'Ready And Waiting To Take Alfie Evans' To Italy If Court Allows It

His case was taken to the High Court again today

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

An air ambulance is at Alder Hey Hospital ready to fly Alfie Evans to Italy if a court decides he is free to go.

The 23-month-old, who has an undiagnosed brain condition, was taken off life-support last night, but he surprised everyone by continuing to breath.

A spokesperson for the Christian Legal Centre, which is helping the family during the legal battle, told the Metro: "Alfie has survived much longer than the doctors predicted, lending support to the request from Alfie's parents for Alfie to be seen by medical experts in Italy.

"An air ambulance is now waiting outside Alder Hey Hospital ready to take Alfie to hospital in Italy."

Speaking this morning, Tom said: "Nine hours he has been breathing now. It's actually come to the point where his mum is asleep next to him. She can actually go to sleep next to him. She feels comfortable with him."

When asked by a journalist how long the little boy had been able to breath unaided, he said it was 'a few minutes'.

He continued: "They say Alfie is suffering. Well look at him now. He's not even on a ventilator and he's not suffering.

"He is still working and doing as good as he can but we do need him to be supported in the next hour.


Alder Hey Hospital.
PA

"It is going to be hard and we will need him to be supported in the next hour or two because he's been doing it for nine hours totally unexpected.

"I do believe he will need some sort of life support in the next few hours."

He has previously been granted Italian citizenship by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy. In a statement on its official website the Ministry says: "Ministers Alfano and Minniti have granted Italian citizenship to little Alfie.

"In this way the Italian government hopes that being an Italian citizen will allow the child immediate transfer to Italy."

This is the latest in a number of court battles between the parents and the hospital, which say it is in the child's best interests to withdraw life support as his brain condition, which has never been diagnosed, cannot be treated.

Tom Evans and Kate James.
PA

The family want to fly Alfie to Bambino Gesú, a hospital in Rome, where experts have reportedly said they will treat the little boy.

Both hospitals have given the same prognosis for Alfie, the Liverpool Echo reports.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram