ARCHIE Battersbee’s parents have launched an appeal after a judge refused to let them move their 12-year-old to a hospice.
Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee today lost a last-ditch legal bid to have their boy taken out of the Royal London Hospital.
They wanted him to be able to “spend his last moments” in peace – without nurses and doctors.
But in her judgement this morning, judge Mrs Justice Theis said Archie should remain at hospital when treatment is withdrawn.
She echoed the concerns of the health trust responsible for Archie’s care, who found the boy’s condition is too unstable for him to be transferred.
Doctors fear an ambulance journey “would most likely hasten the premature deterioration the family wish to avoid”.
The family have now launched an appeal against the judge’s decision.
Mrs Justice Theis had granted a delay on the withdrawal of Archie’s treatment until 2pm today to allow time for the appeal to be lodged.
Hollie today blasted the High Court’s judgment – reached late last night but only published this morning – as “sick and outrageous” in an interview with Sky News.
She added: “All our wishes as a family have been denied by the authorities.
“We are broken but we are keeping going, because we love Archie and refuse to give up on him”.
Hollie earlier called refusing to move Archie “inhuman” and said it is “completely barbaric and absolutely disgusting that we’re not even allowed to choose where Archie takes his last moments”.
It was yesterday revealed that Hollie may give her son mouth-to-mouth if doctors withdraw oxygen when his machines are switched off.
The mum has vowed to “continue to give him oxygen” if doctors switch off the 12-year-old’s machine and is “prepared to do anything” to keep him alive.
A spokesman for campaign organisation the Christian Legal Centre – who are supporting the family – told The Sun giving her son mouth-to-mouth “may be what Hollie has to resort to”.
He referred to the “traumatic” case of little Alfie Evans, whose parents launched a similar legal battle to Archie’s when doctors wanted to turn off his machines.
Alfie’s dad Tom gave the boy mouth-to-mouth to keep the dying tot alive in his devastating final moments.
It comes after the European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday rejected Hollie and Paul’s last-ditch appeal to keep Archie’s life support switched on – leaving Hollie “absolutely deflated” .
The following day, the family made an application to the High Court to move Archie from Royal London Hospital to a hospice for his final hours.
In a statement, Hollie said yesterday: “If Archie is denied oxygen if and when life-support is removed I will continue to give him oxygen.
“I pray that the High Court will do the right thing. If they refuse permission for us to take him to a hospice and for him to receive palliative oxygen it will simply be inhumane and nothing about Archie’s ‘dignity.’
“The whole system has been stacked against us.
“Reform must now come through Charlie’s Law so that no parents have to go through this.
“We will fight to the end for Archie’s right to live.”
The family’s lawyers had until 9am on Thursday to make their High Court appeal in order to transfer their young son out of the Royal London Hospital.
I pray that the High Court will do the right thing. If they refuse permission for us to take him to a hospice and for him to receive palliative oxygen it will simply be inhumane and nothing about Archie’s ‘dignity.’
Hollie Dance
Heartbroken Hollie confirmed the family’s intentions to keep battling the courts’ decisions, describing it as “completely barbaric and absolutely disgusting that we’re not even allowed to choose where Archie takes his last moments”.
She previously vowed: “We will fight until the bitter end. We’re going to fight for the right for my son to live.”
Archie was found with a ligature over his head after a social media dare at home in Southend, Essex, on April 7 this year.
The youngster suffered brain damage in the “freak accident” and has been unresponsive ever since.
He is being kept alive by a combination of medical interventions, including ventilation and drug treatments, at the hospital in Whitechapel, East London.
Source: The Sun
