Archie Battersbee’s dad ‘has stroke’ before judges rule he should let son die
The father of Archie Battersbee, 12, suffered a suspected heart attack or stroke just before a ruling on his son’s ‘devastating’ life support dispute was made.
Appeal judges have ruled that doctors can lawfully stop providing life-support treatment to Archie – despite his family’s pleas to continue it.
It is not known exactly when Paul Battersbee, who is in his 50s, fell ill, but a lawyer on Monday said that he had been taken to hospital.
News of Mr Battersbee’s suspected serious illness was shared with the court and the family had asked to postpone the ruling.
But three judges refused, and went ahead to give doctors permission to stop providing treatment to Archie.
The schoolboy’s mum Hollie Dance, who was seen attending court today, is said to be ‘disgusted’.
Barrister Edward Devereux QC, indicated that Archie’s parents wanted to ask the European Court of Human Rights to consider the case, although there has been no formal confirmation.
Archie is in a comatose state after suffering ‘catastrophic’ brain damage three months ago, with medics at the Royal London Hospital saying he is ‘brain-stem dead’.
He was found unresponsive with a ligature around his neck at his home in Essex on April 7.
It was initially assumed to be a ‘freak accident’, but his family came to suspect he may have been taking part in a dangerous online challenge.
His parents mounted an appeal bid after a High Court judge in June ruled life support should stop.
They have vowed to ‘not give up the fight’, with his mum’s lawyer saying today that she has seen indications Archie has tried to breathe by himself twice in the last few days.
Sir Andrew McFarlane, one of the judges considering the appeal, said medical staff had seen ‘no signs of life’ in Archie.
He noted the case had received widespread media coverage – including a photograph of Archie, but went on to add that he ‘is no longer the boy in the photograph’.
‘He is someone whose every bodily function is now maintained by artificial means’, he said.
Mr Justice Hayden previously described what had happened to Archie as a ‘tragedy of immeasurable dimensions’, but said medical evidence was ‘compelling and unanimous’ and painted a ‘bleak’ picture.
Archie’s parents, who are separated, had argued the judge had not given ‘real or proper weight’ to multiple issues including the family’s wishes, and had failed to carry out a ‘comprehensive evaluation’ of continuing life-support treatment.
Hollie has previously said: ‘If I don’t explore every avenue and if I don’t fight for his life, then, later on, we realise, actually we didn’t look into that, we’ve missed something, I’m going to spend the rest of my life not knowing and thinking “what if, what if?”‘
Andrea Williams, the chief executive of Christian Legal Centre which is supporting Archie’s parents, said today: ‘I am very disappointed that they have not adjourned this decision given that Mr Battersbee has been taken to hospital.
‘I’ve been in touch with Archie’s mother – she is disgusted.’
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