With this new tweet, Pope Francis pleads for the will of Alfie Evans' parents to be respected. He asks that their suffering be heard and that new forms of treatment may be granted.
It is the fourth time the pope advocates for the life of the little boy. He published his first tweet on April 4, called for prayers during the Regina Coeli on April 15 and spoke about him during the General Audience on Wednesday 18. But, above all, the biggest gesture of support to the the boy's family was this meeting in Santa Marta with Tom Evans, Alfie's father.
After learning first-hand about the Evans' suffering and struggle, Pope Francis asked the Vatican pediatric hospital to do everything possible to move the baby to Rome.
To facilitate this transfer, the Italian government has granted Italian citizenship to the child. Still, English doctors and judges won't let the family remove the child from Alder Hey hospital.
Additionally, the order to disconnect the baby from life support went into effect last night. But, when the machine was removed, to everyone's surprise, little Alfie started to breathe on his own. The doctors said that he would only survive a few minutes, but he breathed on his own for several hours, so they had to supply him with oxygen and hydration yet again.
While the parents' attempts to stop the removal of life support were useless, also the visit made by the director of Bambino Gesù Hospital was ineffective. She traveled from Rome to Liverpool, but the doctors at Alder Hey hospital wouldn't even receive her.
