PremiumArchie Battersbee, a 12-year-old boy, who has been in a coma for four months died Saturday at a London hospital after doctors ended life-sustaining treatment that was the subject of a lengthy court battle
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Archie Battersbee, the 12-year-old boy who was the subject of a lengthy court battle, had been in a coma for four months. He died on Saturday at a London hospital after doctors ended life-sustaining treatment complying with the decision of a British court.
Archie's mother, Hollie Dance, said her son died at 12:15 p.m., about two hours after the hospital began withdrawing treatment. This came after the British court rejected the family's request to transfer Archie to a hospice. The European Court of Human Rights refused for a second time to intervene in the case.
"He fought until the very end, "Dance said, weeping outside the hospital. “I'm the proudest mum in the world."
Archie's care was the subject of weeks of legal arguments after his parents sought judicial intervention to force the hospital to continue life-sustaining treatments. The doctors argued that there was no chance of his recovery and he should be allowed to die.
British courts ruled it was in his best interests to end treatment. To which, the family asked for permission to move Archie to a hospice. The hospital stated that Archie's condition was not stable enough to move him to a hospice as it would hasten his death.
On Friday, High Court Judge Lucy Theis rejected the family's request to move Archie saying that he should remain in the hospital while treatment was withdrawn.
Theis wrote in her decision, “I return to where I started, recognizing the enormity of what lays ahead for Archie's parents and the family. Their unconditional love and dedication to Archie is a golden thread that runs through this case… I hope now Archie can be afforded the opportunity for him to die in peaceful circumstances, with the family who meant so much to him as he clearly does to them."
This is not the first case of this kind as under British law, it is common for courts to intervene when parents and doctors disagree on a child's medical treatment. In such cases, the child's best interests take primacy over the parents' right to decide what they believe is best for their offspring.