Archie Battersbee's Mum Says Legal Battle To Postpone Withdrawal Of Son's Life Support Has Ended
Archie Battersbee's mother has said the legal battle to postpone the withdrawal of her son's life-sustaining treatment has ended.
The treatment was due to be withdrawn on Wednesday, but was delayed so that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) could consider the family's application.
However, the ECHR said it 'would not interfere' with the UK courts' rulings, allowing treatment to be stopped for the child.
Archie's mother, Hollie Dance, said the court's decision to refuse their application was 'another heartbreaking development' for their child.
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Outside of the Royal London Hospital, where Archie has been placed since April, Hollie announced that this was now 'the end'.
She said: "It was the last thing, wasn't it? And again our country has failed a 12-year-old child.
"We've now got a fight to see whether we can get him out of here to have a dignified passing at a hospice."
She explained that she 'won't allow' anything to be done before Archie's father returned to his son's bedside at the hospital, which she said would be this morning.
His family have claimed that Barts Health NHS Trust has told them life support will be withdrawn at 11.00am on Thursday, 4 August, unless an application over the hospice move is submitted by 09.00am.
In light of this, his family want the 12-year-old to be moved to a hospice, having said they want to file an appeal to the High Court to transfer Archie to an end-of-life care facility.
"I would like him out of here as quick as possible really, and in a peaceful hospice to say goodbye and spend time with his family, uninterrupted by the noise and chaos," his mother, Hollie Dance said.
However, lawyers for Barts Health NHS Trust stated in a letter that any application to move Archie to a hospice would 'be opposed on both a procedural basis and best interests basis'.
The letter read: "The trust continues to put Archie's welfare and best interests at the forefront of its decision making about his care.
"It believes that Archie's condition is unstable and that transferring him even a short distance involves significant risk."
Archie been on life support since being found unconscious at home in Southend, Essex, in April, with his mother believing that he was injured in an online challenge.
A spokesperson for Archie's family said it was 'absolutely disgusting' that his family were 'not even allowed to choose where Archie takes his last moments'.
The spokesperson also added that a hospice previously agreed they would look after the child.
Gabriella Ferlita