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Demos in Warsaw in support of sick UK boy Alfie Evans

PR dla Zagranicy
Grzegorz Siwicki 26.04.2018 11:52
Dozens of people have staged a silent demonstration in front of the British embassy in Warsaw to show their support for the parents of terminally ill UK toddler Alfie Evans, who was taken off life support at a hospital in Liverpool earlier this week.
A Polish flag flies above a banner for Alfie Evans outside Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, Britain, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA/PETER POWELL Dostawca: PAP/EPA.A Polish flag flies above a banner for Alfie Evans outside Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, Britain, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA/PETER POWELL Dostawca: PAP/EPA.

Further peaceful gatherings of this kind were scheduled to take place on Thursday and Friday, according to a report by the wpolityce.pl website.

One of the organisers of Wednesday's gathering in front of the British embassy in the Polish capital, Marek Grabowski, from a group called the Mom and Dad Foundation, told Poland’s PAP news agency that the gatherings aimed to "show solidarity and support for Alfie Evans’ parents.”

The 23-month-old British toddler, who is suffering from a rare undiagnosed degenerative neurological condition, confounded doctors' expectations when he continued to live after his life support was switched off on Monday night, according to reports.

A court had ruled the Liverpool hospital could end the child's care.

According to doctors, the boy had no chance of recovery due to irreversible and untreatable brain damage.

On Tuesday, a high court judge decided that the boy's parents could not take him abroad for further treatment.

The judge said the ruling "represents the final chapter in the life of this extraordinary little boy."

The parents challenged the ruling and wanted to move their son to a hospital in Rome.

A court of appeal that examined the case on Wednesday backed the earlier ruling preventing Alfie Evans’ parents from taking the child to Rome for further care.

The Italian government had agreed to grant the boy citizenship and offered medical help.

Pope Francis met with Alfie's father last week. He has also tweeted an appeal "that the suffering of [the boy's] parents may be heard and that their desire to seek new forms of treatment may be granted."

Petition to grant Alfie Evans Polish citizenship

Some 5,000 Poles declaring their support for Alfie Evans’ parents have signed a petition to President Andrzej Duda, asking him to grant the boy Polish citizenship so that he could be covered by medical care in Poland, according to reports.

The Polish president on Wednesday said on Twitter that "Alfie Evans must be saved!"

'We cannot let a helpless child die': Polish deputy PM

Meanwhile, a Polish deputy prime minister signalled on Thursday that Poland's authorities could "intervene in the case of Alfie Evans” and offer help to the boy's parents.

"It is unbelievable that a child who is staying alive and fighting for his life has no treatment options,” Beata Szydło said when speaking to public broadcaster TVP 1.

"We cannot let a helpless child die right in front of the world’s eyes with no one willing to help," she added.

(gs/pk)

Source: wpolityce.pl, TVP, IAR, PAP

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