Archie Battersbee's life support has been switched off
Archie Battersbee's life support has been switched off.
His mother Hollie Dance has said that her son died at 12.15pm on Saturday.
Standing outside Royal London Hospital Ms Dance said she is the 'proudest mother in the world'. She said Archie 'fought until the very end'.
The 12-year-old was found unconscious at his home in Southend, Essex, in April, having suffered traumatic brain injuries.
His mother, Hollie Dance, suspects he had been taking part in an online challenge.
Archie has had to rely on medical ventilation ever since at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, where he remained unconscious for months before a High Court judge ruled he should be allowed to die.
Mr Justice Hayden determined that what happened to Archie was a 'tragedy of immeasurable dimensions', saying: "There is unfortunately no treatment possible to reverse the damage that has been caused to Archie’s brain.
"There can be no hope at all of recovery."
His family fought tirelessly to have the decision overturned, but their appeals were repeatedly rejected.
On Wednesday 3 April, mum Hollie conceded it was 'the end' after the European Court of Human Rights decided not to intervene in the decision to withdraw life-support treatment.
Two days later, the family also lost a last-ditch High Court bid to have him transferred to a hospice before his life-sustaining treatment would be withdrawn.
Hollie had said she wanted her son to 'spend his last moments' together with family privately, complaining of a lack of privacy at the hospital.
But in a ruling on the morning of Friday 5 August, Mrs Justice concluded it was not in Archie’s best interests to be moved.
She said: “Archie’s best interests must remain at the core of any conclusions reached by this court.
“When considering the wishes of the family, why those wishes are held, the facilities at the hospice, what Archie is likely to have wanted.
"The risks involved in a transfer ... and the increasing fragility of his medical condition, I am satisfied that when looking at the balancing exercise again his best interests remain as set out (in the ruling of July 15), that he should remain at the hospital when treatment is withdrawn.
“The circumstances outlined by Dr F of the physical arrangements at the hospital and the arrangements that can be made will ensure that Archie’s best interest will remain the focus of the final arrangements to enable him peacefully and privately to die in the embrace of the family he loved.
“The parents in the email from their solicitors on August 2 confirmed, in principle, their willingness to co-operate in these arrangements."
Topics: UK News
Jess Hardiman