Don’t kill our boy
Parents fight to keep son with brain damage on life support
THE parents of a 12-year-old boy who has not regained consciousness since suffering brain damage more than a month ago are waiting for a High Court judge to rule on the latest stage of a right to life battle.
Archie Battersbee was found with a ligature over his head at home on April 7.
His mother Hollie Dance, 46, of Southend thinks he might have been taking part in an online challenge. Specialists treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, think it is ‘highly likely’ that Archie is brain dead and argue that life support treatment should end.
Bosses at the hospital’s governing trust, Barts Health NHS Trust, yesterday asked Mrs Justice Arbuthnot to rule that a test to establish whether Archie was brain-stem dead would be in the youngster’s best interests. Fiona Paterson, for the trust, told the judge the ‘priority’ is a decision on whether Archie should have the brain-stem test, which she said is ‘endorsed nationally’ and would be done in a way that ensures any risk is ‘minimised’.
But Archie’s parents Miss Dance and Paul Battersbee, who are separated, raised concerns about doctors’ proposals. They questioned the reliability of the proposed brain-stem test, arguing that it was ‘potentially dangerous’ and asked why Archie, who lives with his mother in Southend, was not receiving treatment to relieve swelling on his brain.
Bruno Quintavalle, for the youngster’s parents, told the judge: ‘The concern is that he may be suffering every day more damage which could have been avoided.’
Mrs Justice Arbuthnot, who oversaw a private hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London, said she aimed to deliver a ruling today.
A campaign organisation called the Christian Legal Centre said it is supporting Archie’s family ‘every step of the way’.