The parents of a 12-year-old boy will find out today if their appeal against a High Court ruling to end his life-support treatment has succeeded. Archie Battersbee suffered a “devastating” brain injury three months ago and doctors have since said continuing his treatment should end.
Doctors treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, told judges they think he is “brain-stem dead” and say continued life support treatment is not in his best interests.
Archie’s parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, from Southend in Essex, disagree, with Ms Dance urging the Court to let Archie die a natural death. She said her son would want treatment to continue.
On Monday, Mr Justice Hayden reviewed evidence at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London. A decision on the ruling is expected later.
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Ms Dance found him unconscious with a ligature over his head on April 7 and thinks he might have been taking part in an online challenge. He has not regained consciousness.
Mr Battersbee told the Court that Archie would “not want to leave” his mother. He said: “I think he should be left for a bit longer.
"I am not looking at it through rose-tinted glasses, but it has only been 12 or 13 weeks and doctors have got it wrong before. The most important thing for me is to know he has gone in God’s way.”
Lawyers representing the Royal London Hospital’s governing trust, Barts Health NHS Trust, have asked for decisions about what moves are in Archie’s best interests. Another High Court judge had earlier concluded that Archie was dead, but Court of Appeal judges upheld a challenge, made by Archie’s parents, to decisions taken by Mrs Justice Arbuthnot and said evidence should be reviewed.
Archie’s family are being supported by campaign organisation the Christian Legal Centre.
Chief executive Andrea Williams said: “What Archie’s case has shown is that systematic reform is needed to protect the vulnerable and their families in end-of-life matters. This family have fought courageously to get to this point in taking a stand for Archie’s life.
“We continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with them and continue to pray for justice and a miracle.”
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