Father of seriously ill British toddler flies to Vatican to urge pontiff to intervene in legal fight

The father of a 23-month-oldboy at the centre of a life-support treatment battle has had a private audience with the pope during which he kissed the pontiff’s hand and asked him to “save our son”.

Tom Evans, whose son Alfie has a rare degenerative brain disease, posted on Facebook that he had flown to the Vatican on Tuesday evening and met Pope Francis for 20 minutes.

The trip came as Evans, 21, and his partner, Kate James, 20, filed an application to the supreme court to appeal against a ruling that stated life support should be withdrawn from their son. The couple are fighting to take the child to Rome for further treatment.

The pair, from Liverpool, have lost cases in the high court, court of appeal, supreme court and European court of human rights after judges concluded that the child was in a semi-vegetative state and further treatment would be futile.

Alongside photos on Facebook of him kissing the pope’s hand, Evans wrote: “Alfie, we will do everything for you … We won’t allow your life to be taken. Your holiness, save our son.”

Francis used his most recent Sunday blessing in St Peter’s Square to say prayers for the toddler. He said he hoped Alfie would “always be respected in dignity and cared for in a way suitable to [his] conditions, with the agreement of family members, doctors and health workers”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Alfie Evans. Photograph: Action 4 Alfie/AFP/Getty Images

The pope intervened in July in the case of Charlie Gard, a British toddler who died of a rare genetic disease after his parents fought a court battle to take him abroad for treatment.

The basis of Evans and James’s latest legal appeal is that their son is being wrongly detained by Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool. They have made an application under the Habeas Corpus Act 1679, which allows the legality of a detention to be examined.

An appeal court panel of Lord Justice Davis, Lady Justice King and Lord Justice Moylan upheld a ruling on Monday by the high court judge Mr Justice Hayden, who endorsed a detailed plan put forward by doctors at Alder Hey hospital for withdrawing life-support treatment.

A spokesman for Alder Hey hospital said: “The supreme court will consider the application for permission to appeal [against] the decision of the court of appeal. Our priority is to continue providing Alfie with the best care possible.”

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales said its members were praying for Alfie and his parents.

“We affirm our conviction that all those who are and have been taking the agonising decisions regarding the care of Alfie Evans act with integrity and for Alfie’s good as they see it. The professionalism and care for severely ill children shown at Alder Hey hospital is to be recognised and affirmed.

“With the Holy Father, we pray that, with love and realism, everything will be done to accompany Alfie and his parents in their deep suffering.”