Archie Battersbee died on Saturday after having his life support turned off. The 12-year-old’s mother, Hollie Dance, stated that her “wonderful little baby” passed away at 12:15 p.m. while speaking outside the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London.
Battersbee, a lover of mixed martial arts and a talented gymnast, was the subject of a complex court battle after sustaining devastating injuries in an accident at his Southend, Essex, home in April.
Archie Battersbee, a 12-year-old British boy whose life support was withdrawn after a legal battle between his parents and his doctors, died on Saturday, bringing an end to a wrenching case over who makes life and death decisions for a seriously ill child. https://t.co/aLaXM2CuKl
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 6, 2022
Battersbee was in coma and was being kept alive by a mixture of medical procedures, including ventilation and drug treatments ever since Dance discovered him unresponsive in April, reports Sky News. His parents wanted to keep him in critical care because they thought he may recover. His doctors believed that he was brain dead and had suggested that keeping him on life support was not in his favor.
His parents, Paul Battersbee and Hollie Dance, however, were in disagreement. They sued Barts Health NHS Trust, assisted by the Christian Legal Center.
Archie Battersbee case: a timeline of key events https://t.co/P61RU9B7DO
— The Guardian (@guardian) August 6, 2022
The legal matter was closed after several appeals were made to the courts. Dance had urged the judge to give her son “more time” and said she was “disgusted” by the verdict, adding it has been “absolute hell watching my other children hear over and over again by the hospital trust that my child is already dead”.
But the judges found it “futile” to keep treating him. The case ultimately came to a close when the European Court of Human Rights refused to intervene, and Archie’s treatment was discontinued.
“He was taken off medication at 10 am and his stats remained stable until two hours later when they removed the ventilation,” said Ella Rose Carter, Archie’s eldest brother Tom’s fiance, said in a statement on behalf of the grieving family. “There is absolutely nothing dignified about watching a family member or a child suffocate. We hope no family has to go through what we have been through. It’s barbaric.”
'IT'S BARBARIC': Archie Battersbee, 12, died at a London hospital around noon on Saturday, about two hours after doctors discontinued treating him. He was in a coma since April 7, when he was initially found unconscious in the family’s home. https://t.co/tw1J77teDF pic.twitter.com/6GviXML33X
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 7, 2022
The tearful mother standing outside the hospital after her son’s demise said, “I would just like to say I am the proudest mum in the world.” She further added, “He was such a beautiful little boy. He fought right until the very end and I am so proud to be his mum.”
In a statement, Barts Health NHS Trust said Archie’s “tragic case not only affected the family and his carers but touched the hearts of many across the country.”
As per The Guardian, Alistair Chesser, the trust’s chief medical officer, said, “Archie Battersbee passed away on Saturday afternoon at the Royal London hospital after treatment was withdrawn in line with court rulings about his best interests. Members of his family were present at the bedside and our thoughts and heartfelt condolences remain with them at this difficult time. The trust would like to thank the medical, nursing, and support staff in the pediatric intensive care department who looked after Archie following his awful accident. They provided high-quality care with extraordinary compassion over several months in often trying and distressing circumstances. This tragic case not only affected the family and his carers but touched the hearts of many across the country.”
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe
