The father of Alfie Evans has spoken of his delight at having another baby boy. Alfie was 23 months old when he died last April after suffering from rare degenerative brain condition that doctors deemed beyond medical help.
Alfie Evans Had Extremely Rare Condition – Parents: ‘We Never Got the Chance’ to Test Treatment
The legal battle over the youngster’s medical care garnered international headlines and caught the attention of many leading figures, including Pope Francis. Indeed, despite dad Thomas Evans campaigning relentlessly to have his son released from care in the United Kingdom, the British courts ruled against this, arguing that it was in the best interest of Alfie to stay in a Liverpool hospital and to have his life support withdrawn.
Baby Thomas Evans is now six months old and has brought a new joy to the family, who still desperately miss their little Alfie.
“When we see Thomas pull a face he looks like Alfie, we feel that in a way we have them both with us,” Thomas told the Sunday Mirror. “Thomas is Alfie’s double — the resemblance is amazing.”
“He’s such a happy baby, he does nothing but smile,” he continued. “I had a great connection with Alfie and I feel like I’ve got the same with Thomas. We’re hanging in there, keeping sane, doing as well as we can. I wouldn’t know where I was without baby Thomas.”
Thomas Senior, who managed to attain Italian citizenship for Alfie during his battle to release him from the British health system, said he now has “something to wake up to” with little baby Thomas.
“I have to keep happy for Thomas’s sake. I wouldn’t want to wake up if it wasn’t for the baby,” he added.
Tom and his partner, Kate, revealed that they would be spending the £140,000 raised for Alfie on helping sick children.
“When Thomas gets older we want him to understand what Alfie went through and he can know good came from it,” he said. “We’d like to help children around the UK and the world.”
Evans added that Kate was a “great mum for Thomas,” though parenting another child after Alfie doesn’t come without its pangs of sadness.
“She has moments when she’s upset and she has a cry,” he said. “That’s what you have to do to release the emotion. Mums have that bond, especially with the first child.”
The father also recalled doctors at Alder Hey Hospital, where Alfie died, separating Kate from him so they could argue in favor of taking the toddler off life support.
“It was hard. She questioned if we were doing the right thing,” Evans explained. “I told her what we were doing, what our friends and family were doing, was the right thing for Alfie. But it wasn’t easy. It was hard for her to hear the arguments of the doctors every day. There was a lot of strain, but we stayed together.”
“We both loved Alfie and both wanted the best for Alfie,” he said. “We remained tough. They were telling her I was wrong. She was pregnant and her hormones and emotions were all over the place.”
Do continue to pray for this family as they raise their little boy.