Please don’t leave, love you little man
Harrowing moment mum found Archie
THE mum of tragic Archie Battersbee has told an inquest of the horrific moment she found him unconscious.
Hollie Dance begged “please don’t leave Mummy, I love you little man” after discovering her 12-year-old son unresponsive by the bannisters at their home in April.
She ran outside and screamed for help before a neighbour performed CPR as they waited for paramedics to arrive.
Ms Dance said: “I repeated over and over again that I didn’t want him to leave me.”
She added that she thought his death was accidental, saying: “I think he’s climbed on the bannister and he’s fallen and possibly caused injury to his neck and throat, resulting in him being unconscious straight away.”
Minutes earlier he had shared a joke with his mum and she thought he was “playing happily” with his pet rabbit. She said: “That was the last time I saw Archie. I found him unconscious about five or 10 minutes later.”
Alfie died in August after his parents lost a court battle with the hospital treating him and his life support was turned off. The inquest heard gymnastics fanatic Archie, of Southend, Essex, was always climbing on things. He was withdrawn from school in March as he was not receiving the support he needed.
At a pre-inquest hearing it was revealed police found phone messages reflecting a “low mood”. But his mum insisted: “He wasn’t down, just a bit bored” Asked if she was aware if Archie had been expressing thoughts of self-harm and suicide, she replied: “No”. She had previously feared he was injured attempting a blackout challenge he had seen on social media. The inquest continues.