Archie Battersbee's Life Support Will Be Turned Off At 11am Tomorrow
Hollie Dance, Archie Battersbee's mum, has revealed that her son's life support will be turned off at 11am tomorrow (3 August), Sky News reports.
The heartbreaking update comes after Archie's parents lost a Supreme Court bid to block the withdrawal of his life-sustaining treatment, pending a review of his case by a UN committee.
Doctors had previously said they would withdraw the 12-year-old's treatment by 12.00pm on Tuesday (2 August), but Archie's parents filed a last-minute appeal to the Supreme Court in an attempt to give their son more time.
Dance found her son unconscious at their home in Southend, Essex in April. He may have been taking part in an online challenge.
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After suffering traumatic brain injuries he has not regained consciousness.
Since arriving at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, he has relied on medical ventilation. A High Court judge ruled last month he should be allowed to die.
Archie’s mum and dad Paul Battersbee - have continued to fight the ruling, arguing that it breaches Articles 10 and 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, as well as Article 6 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Children.
Sir Andrew McFarlane, sitting with two other judges, explained the court's decision as he said: “Every day that [Archie] continues to be given life-sustaining treatment is against his best interests.
"I concluded that there should be no stay other than a short stay for the parents to take stock and consider whether they want to make any further application to the supreme court.”
Last month, Mrs Justice Arbuthnot ruled that Archie 'died at noon on May 31st 2022, which was shortly after the MRI scans taken that day'.
The judge said: "I find that irreversible cessation of brain stem function has been conclusively established.
"I give permission to the medical professionals at the Royal London Hospital to cease to ventilate mechanically Archie Battersbee."
In response to the ruling, Ms Dance vowed to appeal the ruling and said at the time: "I am devastated and extremely disappointed by the judge's ruling after weeks of fighting a legal battle when I wanted to be at my little boy's bedside.
"Basing this judgment on an MRI test and that he is 'likely' to be dead, is not good enough.
"This is believed to be the first time that someone has been declared 'likely' to be dead based on an MRI test.
"The medical expert opinion presented in court was clear in that the whole concept of 'brain death' is now discredited, and in any event, Archie cannot be reliably diagnosed as brain-dead."
She added: "I feel sickened that the hospital and the judge have failed to take the wishes of the family into consideration.
"I do not believe Archie has been given enough time."
Topics: News
Gregory Robinson