Alfie Evans is just over a year old, and in that short amount of time he's gone through more hardships that most people do in a lifetime.
The adorable baby boy was born without complication, on time and at a healthy weight, and went home with his loving parents 3 days after delivery. His father, Thomas Evans, wrote that Alfie is a sleepy baby, but after a few weeks they began to notice something was wrong.
When Alfie was a wake he would seem agitated, he'd feed well, and he grew normally, but he was starting to miss his milestones; like lifting his head, staring at faces or chewing on things. They also noticed something more disturbing: he was having seizures.
As time went on Alfie only got worse. His seizures intensified and complications began arising. He was put on life support before his first birthday.
In January Alfie's family was told that the outlook wasn't good for their son.
"They told us in the new year that Alfie wasn't going to make it, so we had him christened," wrote Thomas in an emotional blog post. "We thought we were going to lose our son!"
Not even a year old and Alfie proved himself to be a fighter. The doctors thought he had no chance, but were shocked when the baby beat his infection and was able to start breathing on his own again. He was removed from support systems in March and began moving and opening his eyes soon there after.
For a short time it seemed like Aflie had staged a miraculous comeback, but he caught another chest infection and had to go back on machines to help him breathe. Again, doctors expressed their doubt about his ability to come back from this infection. They informed the family of their intentions to turn off life support, and advised them to get lawyers.
If this case seems familiar it's because many parts echo the recent tragedy of Charlie Gard. He was a young boy with a mitochondrial condition that left him without hope of survival. The NHS in Britain wanted to stop treatment and turn off life support, but his family fought them in court. The family lost and Charlie passed away on July 28.
Alfie's case is gaining attention now, and a fundraiser for the family has raised over £19,000. Recent tests on the boy indicate he might suffer from the same condition as Charlie, which currently has no cure.
But Alfie and his family aren't giving up.
Doctors as of yet have not been able to diagnose Alfie, but two genes that are present in Charlie's disorder did show up in Alfie's tests.
"The doctors here are saying it's a disease and he is not going to live through, but Alfia is a fighter and we will not give up on him," Tom told the Liverpool Echo.
The family has turned to an American doctor who offered to help treat Charlie.
Dr. Michio Hirano has a treatment that he thinks might help those with the mitochondrial disorder. He never got to try it on Charlie, and he hasn't yet examined Alfie.
Brain scans show the baby has no brain activitiy, but he stretches, yawns and pulls on faces when he's awake. Proof, his father says, that he's thinking.
"He wouldn't be doing these things if he was brain dead. I sit with him every day, I know better than any doctor who just pops in for five minutes."
Other doctors in Utah and Italy have also offered to help Alfie.
The treatments and transfers required won't be covered by normal healthcare, and the bills are high. If you'd like to help Alfie with his treatment you can donate to the family here.
