Mum of Archie Battersbee blasts NHS’ ‘choreographed execution’ as child’s life support is set to be turned off
ARCHIE Battersbee’s heartbroken mum yesterday blasted his “choreographed execution” after judges ruled doctors can switch off his life support from noon today.
The 12-year-old — found unconscious after an apparent online challenge — is diagnosed as “brain-stem dead”.
He is in a deep coma and his body cannot function without support.
Appeal court judges ruled keeping him alive is against his best interests — and rejected his parents’ claim that withdrawing treatment is a breach of his human rights.
Last night, hopes of a breakthrough were fading for Archie’s mum Hollie Dance and dad Paul Battersbee as they sat at his bedside at the Royal London Hospital in east London.
The couple said they would go to the Supreme Court, even though it refused to entertain a previous appeal.
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Ms Dance said: “We made a promise to Archie, we will fight to the end. And Archie’s still fighting.
“If tomorrow is the last day then so be it, but we will be applying to the Supreme Court.
“I’ve got my son’s best interests at heart — Paul, and the siblings — nobody else has got Archie’s best interests at heart.
“And I say, and I still stand by it, Archie’s best interests would be to allow that child time to recover.
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“If he doesn’t recover, he doesn’t recover, but give him time to recover.”
Ms Dance said the hospital handed her a letter on Saturday night with the “choreographed execution” of Archie.
She said: “There was no meeting, sat down and broken to gently. We were handed the letter and just left to deal with our own feelings.
“It’s been very draining. Stress levels are through the roof. It’s very heartbreaking. It’s been a very hard few months, an emotional rollercoaster.”
Archie was found at home in Southend, Essex, on April 7 with a “ligature” around his neck.
His mum believes he was doing the “Blackout Challenge”, a TikTok stunt that encourages people to hyperventilate until they pass out.
Ms Dance said: “Please, please, parents, have the conversation with your children because I know there’s a whole new lot of online challenges.
I don’t want any parent out there to have what we’ve been going through and I definitely don’t want to see any more children losing their lives.
Ms Dance
“Please have these talks with your children. I don’t want any parent out there to have what we’ve been going through and I definitely don’t want to see any more children losing their lives.”
Doctors say Archie is effectively brain-dead, kept alive only by mechanical ventilation and because he is being fed through a tube.
Once life support is removed, they say he will die “almost immediately”.
The Court of Appeal heard Archie has lost a lot of weight and his heart and organs are “in the process of closing down”.
Judge Sir Andrew McFarlane said: “The options before the court have always been stark.”
Archie’s parents argued that his treatment should continue so the United Nations can investigate whether his human rights would be breached by its removal.
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But Mr McFarlane ruled the court’s decision complied with the European Convention on Human Rights, and said the UN’s Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has no standing in UK law.
Archie’s parents are supported by the Christian Legal Centre.
The Department of Health and Social Care said: “We recognise this is an exceptionally difficult time for Archie Battersbee’s family.”