British family hoping to bring ill toddler to Utah for treatment


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SALT LAKE CITY — A family in the United Kingdom is fighting to bring their 14-month-old to Utah.

Little Alfie has been in the Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool since December, but doctors have not been able to diagnose exactly what is wrong with the toddler.

"They told us maybe pneumonia, bronchitis and a chest infection. It had severely damaged him and Alfie needed life support," said Thomas Evans, Alfie's dad.

Thomas Evans and Kate James became first-time parents in May 2016 when Alfie was born. They said their newborn was a happy and healthy baby.

"He didn't cry. He didn't open his eyes. He came out just so content," Evans said. "We were like 'Wow, we've been blessed with the really content baby.'"

As new parents, Evans and James did everything doctors told them they were supposed to. But after about a month of caring for Alfie, they noticed something was wrong.

"Alfie wasn't really acting the way we expected him," Evans said. "He would sleep a lot and we needed to constantly wake him up to feed him."

His parents took him to the hospital and were told by doctors that everything was normal. But again, after months of watching him closely, they were convinced their son was in dire need of medical care. Doctors agreed.

"Alfie took a massive deterioration from the chest point of view and possibly the brain point of view," Evans said. "He ended up in the intensive care unit."

Alfie started having seizures and eventually was placed into a coma. He is now on life support. His parents are convinced he will survive, but doctors have already counseled them to let their son die with dignity.

The news reached people around the world through social media following a similar story. Another British baby, Charlie Gard, captured the world's attention and became the center of a legal battle. The terminally ill baby died in July after he was taken off life support.

It deeply impacted Utah resident Gidget Quilter, who got in touch with Alfie’s parents after seeing the Facebook page Alfie's Army.

"I said, ‘I'm not sitting back,’" Quilter said. "I'm going to do something to help this baby."

Quilter took it upon herself to reach out to doctors around the nation. Her hope is to get a U.S. doctor to take on Alfie's case.

"I've actually provided Primary Children's Hospital and University of Utah pediatrics the medical records," Quilter said.

Both hospitals have not gotten back to Quilter. She is not sure if they will, but she’s confident her actions are the first steps to saving Alfie.

"This baby is a fighter," Quilter said. "He deserves a fighting chance."

Quilter, along with Alfie's parents, hopes their plea will convince doctors to bring him to America for the care they believe Alfie won't be able to receive in the U.K.

"We believe Alfie could possibly wake up and live the life that he deserves," Evans said.

Family and friends are hoping to raise funds to help pay for the flight to bring Alfie to the U.S. if the opportunity comes. They've set up a Just Giving site*.


*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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Ashley Moser

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