Hollie Dance, 46, rarely got out of Archie Battersbee’s son’s bed after an accident at their home on April 7, when she was discovered with a ligament over his head. On Monday, Ms Justice Arbuthnot told doctors at Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, that the boy was a “dead brain” and that life support treatment should be discontinued. Dance, from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, said the last few months had been “torture”, but the family had been appealing and believed the judge had made “several mistakes” in the case. Despite the catastrophic decision, Dance said she was “not shocked” that the verdict came back as it did and felt that she and Archie’s father, Paul Battersbee, wanted Archie to survive and give him a chance to recover. was not taken into account. . “It was obvious to me that the judge was going to stand by the side of the hospital. “We were not allowed to evaluate Archie independently and we did not want the brain stem test or MRI to be done,” he said. “The guardian who was supposed to represent Archie’s best interests was 100% on the hospital side and even sat and ate lunch with the staff. I am his mother and I want to save his life, but our beliefs as a family have not been taken into account. “His heart is still beating and we want the treatment to continue. “My son was not given enough time and there were miracles where people returned from brain injuries.” Archie has not regained consciousness after the accident, but his mother said he should be given “100%” more time to recover and had shown little sign that he was improving. He said: “A lot more should be given to Archie. There are patients with Covid who stay six months to a year and are on respirators fighting for their lives. “Archie was eight very young weeks and we were in and out of court.” Dance added: “Even in this short time, we have certainly seen small signs that Archie is struggling and his condition is improving. It maintains its blood pressure on its own, it keeps its temperature. And he holds my hand. In one case, he squeezed my two fingers so tightly that they turned bright red. “ Dance said the impact on the family from her son’s accident was “emotionally exhausting” and that she and Archie’s brothers had a hard time seeing the talented gymnast lying down. “It was a difficult two months. He [Archie] “He has such a good relationship with Tom’s older brother that he misses him terribly and he always sends me messages telling me that he is his best friend and that he would like to hear his voice again,” he said. “His older sister, Lauren, is also having a hard time, but she’s dealing with it and she was so helpful in the hospital with Archie. His hair has grown since he fell in bed and she put it in a knot. They were both so supportive of it all. “It is a human right to have a family, but the courts are trying to disrupt it.” He added that it was an “emotional train” and difficult to process everything that happened. The cause of Archie’s accident has not yet been determined, but Dance suspects that her son was copying a challenge he saw on social media and wants to warn parents about the possible dangers. He said: “I think it’s important to say that Archie was copying an online challenge he saw on social media. “I think parents need to know about such things and how quickly it can change your life.” Archie’s family is supported by the Christian Legal Center’s campaign team in their legal efforts. Alistair Chesser, chief physician at Barts Health NHS Trust, said: “This is a sad and difficult time for Archie’s family and our thoughts and condolences are with them as they come to terms with what has happened. “According to the instructions issued by the court, our specialist clinicians will provide the best possible care until the life support is withdrawn. “We also ensure that there is time for the family to decide if they wish to appeal before any changes in care are made.”
