Mom Denied Hospice After Taking Son off Life Support as per Court Order | He Suffered ‘Catastrophic’ Brain Damage

In April 2022, an Essex boy suffered “catastrophic” brain damage. According to the BBC, he was found unconscious at home on 7 April and has been on life support. The London High Court court has ruled that his life support be switched off on Wednesday at 11 am after weeks of a legal battle. 

His parents have requested that the boy be moved to hospice after turning off his life support. But they claim that they have been refused the request for the same.

Hollie Dance, Archie's mother said on Tuesday evening, “Heartbreakingly, the hospital trust have told us this evening that we cannot move Archie to a hospice.”

When Archie was found unconscious, the family suspected it could be because of a dangerous online challenge. He was transferred to the Barts Health NHS Trust-run Royal London Hospital. Doctors proposed a test to verify if he was "brain stem dead." When the family refused the test, the trust was forced to take the matter to London's High Court.

On June 13, 2022, Justice Arbuthnot announced at the Family Division of the High Court in London, “I find that Archie died at noon on May 31, 2022, which was shortly after the MRI scans taken that day." Permitting medical professionals to stop the life support, he added, "I find that irreversible cessation of brain stem function has been conclusively established."

However, his family didn't give up and fought many legal battles to continue his life support. They also filed an application with the UN Committee after all routes of appeal had been exhausted, as per Independent. His parents have submitted a last-minute application to the European Court of Human Rights requesting them to postpone the withdrawal of his life support, as per an update.

Earlier, Archie's father, Paul Battersbee had a stroke or a heart attack before the justices rejected the parents' appeal against a decision to turn off his life support. The judges, who were "extremely sympathetic" towards the father were not convinced about Archie's condition. After the verdict, Andrea Williams, chief executive of a campaign organization called the Christian Legal Center, which is assisting Archie’s parents, said, “I am very disappointed that they have not adjourned this decision given that Mr. Battersbee has been taken to hospital. I’ve been in touch with Archie’s mother – she is disgusted.”

But Archie's mother, Hollie, has been fighting the legal battle stating that this is probably the first time someone has been declared "'likely' to be dead based on an MRI test” and hence, the judgment is "not good enough."

While reviewing the case in mid-July, Justice Hayden said that treating Archie was “futile” and decided against the family. “It serves only to protract his death, whilst being unable to prolong his life,” he added.

Alistair Chesser, chief medical officer for Barts Health NHS Trust, expressed “deepest sympathies” with Archie’s family. “As directed by the courts, we will now work with the family to prepare for the withdrawal of treatment,” he said.

“We aim to provide the best possible support to everyone at this difficult time.”

Hollie says her legal team has been given a “strict timeline” of 9 am to file the ECHR application which is just two hours before the cut-off mark for treatment. “Every single court case we’ve had we’ve had no time at all, one or two days to prepare and get the whole case together,” she said.

A GoFundMe has been set up to pay for his expenses. 

References:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-62307648

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/archie-battersbee-e2-80-99s-family-begged-hospital-to-let-brain-damaged-boy-go-to-hospice/

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/archie-battersbees-parents-submit-application-to-european-court-of-human-rights/ar-AA10fMIs

https://www.gofundme.com/f/just-for-archie?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer&fs=e&s=cl

Cover Image Source: GoFundMe | Just for Archie