The life support system for ARCHIE Battersbee will be removed tomorrow morning after his parents’ Supreme Court case was unsuccessful.
Judges previously determined that continuing the 12-year-life-sustaining old’s therapy would be against the law since it would “protract” his death.
According to his relatives, the life support will be turned off tomorrow morning at 11am.
Before the last-minute appeal surfaced, Archie’s medical treatment was scheduled to finish at noon today.
The Supreme Court judges, however, came to the conclusion after consideration that the brain-damaged kid has “no possibility of any significant recovery.”
The Supreme Court justices who denied Archie’s parents’ appeal request last week, Lords Kitchin and Stephens, along with Lord Hodge, the court’s deputy president, considered the request for permission to appeal.
The justices feel enormous sympathy with the misfortune of Archie’s loving parents who must deal with a situation that is every parent’s worst nightmare: the loss of a much loved child, the judges stated in announcing the court’s decision not to hear the appeal.
Remember that Archie’s recuperation has not been the main point of contention between his parents and the NHS trust—which is backed by Archie’s seasoned guardian—on the one hand. Rather, it has been the date and manner of his passing.
“There is no chance of a substantial recovery.
“Even if life-sustaining treatment were to be maintained, Archie would die in the course of the next few weeks through organ failure and then heart failure.
“The maintenance of the medical regime ‘serves only to protract his death’.
“The judge could only draw that judgement, he said, “with the deepest sadness.
“Although there was evidence that Archie had strong religious convictions and was close to his mother, suggesting that he would not have wanted to leave her alone, those are just a few of the things the courts must take into account when determining where Archie’s best interests lie.
“Against that backdrop, Mr. Justice Hayden held that the continuation of life-sustaining therapy would not be legal.”
The panel declared in its conclusion that Archie’s welfare and best interests come first under English and Welsh law.
“The panel reaches this conclusion with a heavy heart and wishes to extend its deep sympathy to Archie’s parents at this very sad time.”
Speaking after the noon deadline to switch off Archie’s life-support was pushed back earlier, Archie’s mum Hollie Dance said: “I know Archie’s still with us.
“He’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.”
She added: “We are having to battle over every decision with the hospital.
“There is nothing dignified in how we are being treated as a family in this situation.
“We do not understand what the rush is and why all of our wishes are being denied.”
