Losing a loved one is a devastating experience, especially for a child. Today, Archie Batterbee will lose his life support according to the judges’ ruling despite appeals from the government, different organizations, and his shattered parents.

Who is Archie Batterbee and What Happened to Him?

Archie Batterbee is a 12-year-old boy, born to Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee. Her mother found him unconscious with a ligature on his neck on April 7. She believed that her son might be trying to participate in an online incitement known as the “Blackout Challenge”. Others call it the “pass-out challenge” or the “choking challenge.”

This disturbing challenge on TikTok encourages users to hold their breath until they pass out. Due to a lack of oxygen supply to the brain, the user could suffer traumatic brain injury (TBI). This was what happened to Archie Batterbee.

When her mother found him in an unconscious state, he never recovered and remained in a coma since then. Currently, the boy only relies on the combined help of medical interventions to keep breathing. His life support system includes ventilation and drug treatments. He stays at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, East London.

Court Rejected Batterbee Family’s Appeal

On Monday, Archie’s parents were granted a Court of Appeal hearing following the government’s request. It asked the court to seriously consider a UN committee request to continue the boy’s treatment while reviewing his case.

However, after regarding the case, three judges declined to delay the pullout of Archie’s life-sustaining treatment. Sir Andrew McFarlane, Lady Justice King and Lord Justice
Moylan disapproved of granting permission to petition against their ruling at the Supreme Court.

According to Sir Andrew based on the presented evidence by the hospital, Archie’s system, organs and heart are starting to close down. Doctors believe that the boy is “extremely possibly” brain-stem dead. They asserted that it’s best to end his life support.

“Heartbreakingly, the hospital trust have told us this evening that we cannot move Archie to a hospice. We want to make an urgent application to the European Court of Human Rights, but the trust are saying that that has to be submitted at 9 am, which gives us and our lawyers no time to prepare it,” said Dance in a statement.

She added that the trust demanded a copy of it, but they don’t have the right to see it. If it doesn’t happen, the hospital will remove the boy’s life support system today at 11 am. She considered this inhuman and completely outrageous.

Archie Shows Signs of Life According to Mother

No parent, especially a mother would want her child to die. Dance and the rest of the family continue to fight for the brain-damaged boy’s life.

“Archie’s showing very different signs to what the clinicians are actually putting over to the courts. He’s very much there, he’s progressing in so many ways,” said Dance.

She thinks that the system needs a reform to determine treatment options where there’s a disagreement between the patient’s family and hospital trusts.

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