Archie Battersbee’s Life Support Set to Be Switched Off
Tragedy looms as Archie Battersbee’s life support will be turned off at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. His family lost a heartbreaking Supreme Court battle to keep him alive.
The 12-year-old has been in a coma since April 7, after suffering catastrophic brain damage and being found unconscious at home.
Family’s Final Plea Rejected by Supreme Court
Archie’s mother, Hollie Dance, described the fight for her son’s life as “at the final stage.” The family asked the Supreme Court for an extension to keep Archie’s life support running past midday on Tuesday. This was so the United Nations could consider his case.
But the court shot down the appeal. Three justices said the Court of Appeal “made the correct decision” and refused to hear the case again.
“The hospital trust has told us, heartbreakingly, that we cannot move Archie to a hospice,” Ms Dance said.
“We want to make an urgent application to the European Court of Human Rights, but they demand it by 9 a.m. tomorrow, giving us no time to prepare.”
“They also insist on seeing the application, which they have no right to. If we fail, treatment ends at 11 a.m. tomorrow. This is heinous, and we are appalled.”
The family desperately wants Archie to spend his last days in a hospice, but the hospital has refused.
Legal Fight Ends in Heartbreak and Anguish
After a failed last-ditch appeal on Monday, High Court judges ruled that treatment should continue no later than Tuesday midday.
Ms Dance and Archie’s father, Paul Battersbee, expressed their devastation. The Christian Legal Centre supporting the family said the couple felt “extremely disappointed” by the ruling.
“No authorities, other than the UN, have shown us any compassion or understanding,” said Ms Dance. “We will fight to the bitter end.”
“Archie would be very, very disappointed in our justice system,” she added. “This isn’t just about a child. They’re destroying an entire family. Reform is desperately needed.”
Hospital and Judges Stand Firm on End-of-Life Decision
Alistair Chesser, chief medical officer at Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs Royal London Hospital, offered condolences.
“We will work with the family to prepare for withdrawal of treatment, as directed by the courts,” he said. “We want to help everyone as much as we can during this difficult time.”
Archie was found in Southend, Essex, with a ligature around his neck. His mother believes he was taking part in an online challenge gone wrong.
Medical experts say Archie has no chance of meaningful recovery. A judge ruled brain damage has left him without bodily autonomy.
The Supreme Court highlighted that the key issue is not recovery, but the timing and manner of his death. Life support prolongs the inevitable; Archie would die within weeks due to organ and heart failure.
While Archie was a child of faith deeply connected to his mother, the judges concluded that continuing treatment would be unlawful. The Court of Appeal and now the Supreme Court have backed this harsh but final ruling.
The family now has until 9 a.m. Wednesday to file an urgent application to the European Court of Human Rights to delay the withdrawal of treatment.
