Featured Image Credit: SWNS/Hollie Dance
Topics: News, No Article Matching
Lucy Devine
Archie Battersbee's mother claims a new video of her son proves he is trying to breathe on his own.
The video has been released following an appeal court ruling on Monday that Archie's life support could be lawfully switched off by doctors.
You can watch the video below:
Archie's mother, Hollie Dance, believes her 12-year-old son is able to breathe without the respirator. On Monday, the Christian Legal Centre - who are supporting Archie's family - shared the clip on its website.
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They explained: "The judgment comes following video evidence from Archie’s mum, Hollie Dance, which suggested that the 12-year-old had made attempts to take breaths over the weekend."
Following the decision on Monday, Archie's family intend to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
The family have been given 48 hours to make a decision over their next step, which expires at 2:00pm on Wednesday 27 July, but immediately after the ruling, their lawyer indicated they would be appealing to the European court.
After Archie was found unconscious by his mum at his home in Southend-on-Sea, Essex on 7 April, the youngster was rushed to hospital where he received treatment. However doctors at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, now believe it was 'highly likely' he was 'brain-stem dead' after an MRI scan was completed.
The appeal from Archie’s parents came after Judge Arbuthnot’s ruling on 13 June which said: "I find that Archie died at noon on May 31, 2022, which was shortly after the MRI scans taken that day.
"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."
This week, Archie's father Paul Battersbee was rushed to hospital before Monday's court ruling.
Paul had fallen ill outside of court before the start of the hearing.
Barrister Edward Devereux QC, leading the legal team for Archie’s parents, had asked for the ruling to be adjourned and told judges that Mr Battersbee, who is in his 50s, had been taken to hospital and was feared to have suffered a heart attack or stroke.
Despite the incident, appeal judges refused to adjourn the ruling. A family spokesman today said Paul had spent a night in hospital but was doing 'OK now'.