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06th Aug 2022

Archie Battersbee dies aged 12 as life support is withdrawn

Tobi Akingbade

A series of last-minute appeals were rejected this week.

Archie Battersbee has passed away after multiple attempts to postpone the withdrawal of his life support were rejected this week.

His family had been spending their final hours with the 12-year-old after being told his life support would be removed on Saturday morning (6 August).

His mother, Hollie Dance, stood outside the Royal London Hospital saying she is the “proudest mum in the world”, adding that Archie “fought until the very end”.

Hollie and Archie’s father Paul Battersbee had recently made applications to the UK High Court, UK Court of Appeal and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to have their son transferred to a hospice to die.

However, a final request to the ECHR to intervene in the case was rejected on Friday.

This was after a High Court ruling, stating that Archie had to stay at the hospital in Whitechapel in London.

Doctors had warned there was a “considerable risk” in moving the boy.

Archie’s life support has been in place since 7 April after he was found unconscious at his home in Southend in Essex.

Ms. Dance believes her son might have been taking part in an online challenge.

Archie never regained consciousness and, during his treatment, doctors said that the boy was brain-stem dead and that it was in his best interest to stop his care and withdraw his life support.

Archie’s mother, however, had said she wanted a “realistic time” for her child to recover.

Before his death, Ms. Dance has been adamant that her son’s future “shouldn’t be with the decisions of a court – or the hospital”.

“I think this sort of decision should be made by the parents,” she said.

“I don’t think I’m holding on to hope, I’m just asking for a realistic time for my child to recover from a brain injury.”

Ms Dance stated based on evidence from cases similar to Archie’s: “I don’t think six months was not too much to ask for, before being dragged through a court.

“I don’t think I’m holding on to hope, I’m just asking for a realistic time for my child to recover from a brain injury.

“They wanted to turn the machine off on day three. What is the rush?

“I just think while Archie’s progressing, I think it’s important that evidence is actually put before a court. That he’s progressing, not deteriorating like the doctor said that he would.”

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