Mother ‘devastated’ as judge rules hospital can stop treating boy, 12
THE “DEVASTATED” mother of a 12-year-old boy who was at the centre of a life-support treatment fight says relatives aim to appeal after a High Court judge ruled that the youngster was dead.
Doctors treating Archie Battersbee at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, thought that the youngster was “brain-stem dead”.
They said life-support treatment should end and Archie should be disconnected from a ventilator.
Archie’s parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, from Southend, Essex, say the youngster’s heart is still beating and want treatment to continue.
Mrs Justice Arbuthnot ruled that Archie, who suffered brain damage in an incident at home in April, was dead and said doctors could lawfully stop treating him.
“I am devastated and extremely disappointed by the judge’s ruling after weeks of fighting a legal battle when I wanted to be at my little boy’s bedside,” said Ms Dance, in a statement, after the ruling.
“This case raises the significant moral, legal and medical questions as to when a person is dead.
“What does this ruling today tell us about where our society is at? We intend to appeal and will not give up on Archie.”
Ms Dance added: “Basing this judgment on an MRI test and that he is ‘likely’ to be dead, is not good enough.
“This is believed to be the first time that someone has been declared ‘likely’ to be dead based on an MRI test.”
Lawyers representing the Royal London Hospital’s governing trust, Barts Health NHS Trust, had asked Mrs Justice Arbuthnot to decide what moves are in Archie’s best interests.
Mrs Justice Arbuthnot delivered a ruling on Monday.
The judge heard that Archie suffered brain damage in an incident at home in early April.
Ms Dance told how she found him unconscious with a ligature over his head on April 7 and thinks he might have been taking part in an online challenge.