12-year-old Artzi Battersby who was cut off from CPR with his mother (photo by Holly Dance)
A 12-year-old British boy who was in a coma died after a long legal battle, which ended with a court ruling that the doctors could cut off the support of the ventilators and CPR, despite the opposition of the boy’s two parents.
Archie Battersby died in a London hospital around noon yesterday (Saturday), about two hours after the doctors stopped treating him. Young Archie has been in a coma since April 7 this year, when he was found unconscious at the family home, possibly from taking part in a dangerous online challenge.
Ella Carter, the fiancee of Archie’s older brother Tom, said the family watched the boy’s last moments. “He was completely consumed,” she said. “There is nothing honorable about seeing a family member or a child suffocate. No family should have to go through what we went through. It’s barbaric.”
More in-
Young Battersby’s situation became a well-publicized legal dispute, and not the first of its kind, which pitted the will of the parents against the advice of the doctors. His parents advocated keeping their son alive by prolonging treatment or moving Archie to hospice, while doctors said it was in Archie’s best interest to stop prolonging life on artificial support.
The doctors at the Royal London Hospital claimed that Archie had died of the brain stem and should be allowed to die. They pushed to end the treatment that kept him alive, which included artificial respiration, drugs to regulate his body functions and round-the-clock nursing care.
The hospital also testified that Archie’s condition was unstable and that transferring him would hasten his death. His family objected and said they would not give up hope.
On Friday, Supreme Court Justice Lucy Thies sided with the doctors, against the parents’ wishes, and ruled that Archie should remain in the hospital and that his treatment should be discontinued. He died hours later.
“Their unconditional love and devotion to Archie runs through this case,” Thies wrote in her decision. “I hope that now Archie will have the opportunity to die in peaceful circumstances, with the family that loved him so much.” The European Court of Human Rights refused to intervene in the case.
Battersby’s mother, Holly Dance, said she was “the proudest mum in the world”. Outside the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, following the boy’s death, the mother added: “Such a beautiful little boy and he fought right to the end.”
British law allows the courts to intervene when parents and doctors disagree about the child’s medical treatment, and it is then up to the judge to determine the best interests of the child.
More in-
Archie’s parents believe he may have taken part in an online challenge gone wrong. The viral “blackout challenge” on TikTok has led to the deaths of other children, including a 9-year-old girl in Wisconsin and an 8-year-old girl in Texas, whose parents are suing the social media platform.
The case continues to be the subject of widespread debate in the UK over how such cases should be handled and whether the court should have any say in the situation – or whether such disagreements should be decided away from the courts.
In 2017, a legal battle over the life of Charlie Gard, a baby with a rare genetic disorder, made headlines around the world. In the case, the will of the parents was again compared to the will of medical professionals. The parents pushed for their son to undergo experimental treatment before a court alongside the doctors, who argued for the termination of life support.
Comments to the article(0):
Your response has been received and will be published subject to the system policy.
Thanks.
for a new comment
Your response was not sent due to a communication problem, please try again.
Return to comment