A hospital in London disconnected life support for a 12-year-old boy named Archie Battersbee after his parents lost a court case.
The boy’s mother, Hollie Dance, stated that her son died just after two hours following the disconnection of artificial ventilation.
“Such a beautiful little boy. He fought right until the very end,” the mum told journalists while sobbing outside the Royal London Hospital.
“I’m the proudest mum in the world,” Hollie said
One of the boy’s relatives revealed that after the ventilation was disconnected “he went completely blue.” He was referring to how the boy lost his life.
“There is absolutely nothing dignified about watching a family member or a child suffocate,” she added.
The mother found her son, Archie at home unconscious after he had placed a cord around his neck when participating in an online asphyxiation challenge.
Alistair Chesser, London Hospital chief medical officer said “Archie died after treatment was withdrawn in line with court rulings about his best interests.”
The chief medical officer expressed thanks to all medical staff who took care of Archie stating that “they provided high quality care with extraordinary compassion over several months in often trying and distressing circumstances.”
Well wishers dropped flowers, lit cards and cards at the hospital’s entrance for Archie.
“My boy is 12, the same age as Archie, and this just puts things in perspective,” Shelley Elias, 43, said.
“I did not know what to write because there are no words that will take the pain away,” she said.
A judge who talked to the doctors was informed that Archie was “brain-stem dead” which informed the decision to withdraw life support from Archie. However, the family moved to court to oppose that ruling.
The family took their case all the way to the European Court of Human Rights sitting in Strasbourg which a few days ago refused to intervene on the matter.
The family also failed to convince the court to allow them to transfer their child to a hospice for his final hours on earth.
“All legal routes have been exhausted,” Christian Concern, a spokesperson of a group which has been supporting the family, stated on Friday.
Christian Concern is one of the campaign groups which has been supporting desperate parents facing cases with the healthcare systems in Britain.
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