May 2016: Alfie Evans is born apparently perfectly healthy, but misses numerous developmental milestones in his first seven months
December 2016: Alfie catches a chest infection causing seizures, and is taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool where he is put on life support. He has been there ever since
July 2017: Father Tom Evans says he is seeking US treatment for his son and hopes Charlie Gard’s supporters will help after he claimed doctors want to turn off Alfie’s life support.
December 17: Alfie’s parents say they will begin mediation with the hospital in a bid to find a way forward without legal action
December 19: Mr Evans claims the toddler is letting them know he wants to live
His parents Tom Evans and Kate James are fighting to have him moved to a hospital in Rome. Today they were told the European Court of Human Rights would not intervene in the case
February 1 2018: The case goes to the High Court in Liverpool, where the hospital reveal the parents smuggled a German doctor into hospital in a bid to stop the life support from being switched off
February 2: Consultant tells High Court that the child is unresponsive, not conscious of his surroundings and cannot be cured
February 5: Parents are told by doctors there is ‘no hope for recovery’ for their boy who has suffered ‘catastrophic degradation’ to his brain from a ‘relentless’ condition
February 7: Miss James tells a newspaper that she feels ‘physical’ pain at the thought of her son’s death
February 20: Mr Justice Hayden rules that doctors can stop providing treatment to Alfie.
February 22: Alfie’s father, Tom, 21, said he would appeal against the decision, saying ‘doctors should take a step back.’
Alfie’s father Tom met the Pope this week. He said ‘Your Holiness, save our son’ and asked for asylum for Alfie
March 1: Court of Appeal judges refuse to give the parents more time to think before deciding on their next move.
March 6: Three Court of Appeal judges back High Court judge’s ruling that that doctors can stop treating Alfie.
March 20: A panel of three justices, headed by Supreme Court president Lady Hale, decide that the case is not worth arguing and has refuse to give the couple ‘permission’ to mount a further appeal.
April 11: A High Court judge endorses an end-of-life care plan for the 23-month-old boy.
April 16: Parents mount new legal challenge, asking that he be allowed to travel, but again lose at the Court of Appeal. Alfie’s parents apologise after reports of intimidation and verbal abuse among hospital protesters.
April 18: Alfie’s father kisses the hand of the Pope and begs him to ‘save our son’.
April 20: Supreme Court rejects latest legal bid for the youngster to travel.
April 23: European Court of Human Rights refuses to intervene.