Teh One Who Knocks
08-01-2022, 11:27 AM
By Alahna Kindred, News Reporter - The Mirror
https://i.imgur.com/P7aaS3Z.png
The mum of a "brain-stem dead" schoolboy who is at the centre of a battle to continue his treatment has said he will be 'executed' today if their latest court bid fails.
Parents Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee will learn the fate of their son Archie this morning at a last-minute Court of Appeal meeting.
The 12-year-old has been in a coma since April after he suffered a catastrophic brain injury.
Doctors treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, East London, said he is brain-stem dead and say continued life-support treatment is not in his best interests.
This sparked several appeals by his separated parents.
Archie's life support is scheduled to be switched off at 2pm today, but his parents were granted a last-minute virtual hearing at 11am.
The Government had asked the Court of Appeal to "urgently consider" a request from the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to continue his treatment so the committee can examine his case.
His parents applied to the UN as a final attempt to prevent their son's treatment from being stopped, with the committee contacting the Government on Friday.
https://i.imgur.com/Ibv774Q.png
A legal "stay" to prevent treatment from being ended has also been put in place until 1pm today.
Ms Dance said the family have had "no support whatsoever" from the Trust, telling Sky News this morning: "Absolutely none. I know they come across to the media as supportive and compassionate. It's very much the opposite. It's very misleading."
Ms Dance said she was handed a letter on Saturday night with the "choreographed execution" of Archie.
She said: "There was no meeting, sat down and broken too gently."
https://i.imgur.com/X0sYEZ3.png
Ms Dance said they were handed the letter and "just left to deal with our own feelings".
She added: "It's just caused so much stress. This could have been totally prevented and handled totally different to how it's been handled.
"We shouldn't have been dragged through the courts."
Ms Dance said the last couple of months has been "an emotional rollercoaster".
She added: "It's been very draining. Stress levels are through the roof. Very heart-breaking. It's been a very hard few months."
Ahead of this morning's hearing, she said: "It's just left me feeling very anxious all weekend.
"I've carried a lot of anxiety here in my chest. It just feels awful."
Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, wrote to the family over the weekend to inform them it intends to end treatment on Monday afternoon.
Alistair Chesser, chief medical officer for Barts Health NHS Trust, said the plan to withdraw medical treatment will proceed unless the court says otherwise today.
He said: "Our deepest sympathies are with Archie's family at this difficult time.
"We understand a court hearing will take place on Monday morning and we await the outcome.
"The plan to withdraw treatment will proceed unless the court directs otherwise."
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "We recognise this is an exceptionally difficult time for Archie Battersbee's family and our thoughts are with them.
"The Government asked the High Court to urgently consider the request from the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities."
https://i.imgur.com/P7aaS3Z.png
The mum of a "brain-stem dead" schoolboy who is at the centre of a battle to continue his treatment has said he will be 'executed' today if their latest court bid fails.
Parents Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee will learn the fate of their son Archie this morning at a last-minute Court of Appeal meeting.
The 12-year-old has been in a coma since April after he suffered a catastrophic brain injury.
Doctors treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, East London, said he is brain-stem dead and say continued life-support treatment is not in his best interests.
This sparked several appeals by his separated parents.
Archie's life support is scheduled to be switched off at 2pm today, but his parents were granted a last-minute virtual hearing at 11am.
The Government had asked the Court of Appeal to "urgently consider" a request from the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to continue his treatment so the committee can examine his case.
His parents applied to the UN as a final attempt to prevent their son's treatment from being stopped, with the committee contacting the Government on Friday.
https://i.imgur.com/Ibv774Q.png
A legal "stay" to prevent treatment from being ended has also been put in place until 1pm today.
Ms Dance said the family have had "no support whatsoever" from the Trust, telling Sky News this morning: "Absolutely none. I know they come across to the media as supportive and compassionate. It's very much the opposite. It's very misleading."
Ms Dance said she was handed a letter on Saturday night with the "choreographed execution" of Archie.
She said: "There was no meeting, sat down and broken too gently."
https://i.imgur.com/X0sYEZ3.png
Ms Dance said they were handed the letter and "just left to deal with our own feelings".
She added: "It's just caused so much stress. This could have been totally prevented and handled totally different to how it's been handled.
"We shouldn't have been dragged through the courts."
Ms Dance said the last couple of months has been "an emotional rollercoaster".
She added: "It's been very draining. Stress levels are through the roof. Very heart-breaking. It's been a very hard few months."
Ahead of this morning's hearing, she said: "It's just left me feeling very anxious all weekend.
"I've carried a lot of anxiety here in my chest. It just feels awful."
Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, wrote to the family over the weekend to inform them it intends to end treatment on Monday afternoon.
Alistair Chesser, chief medical officer for Barts Health NHS Trust, said the plan to withdraw medical treatment will proceed unless the court says otherwise today.
He said: "Our deepest sympathies are with Archie's family at this difficult time.
"We understand a court hearing will take place on Monday morning and we await the outcome.
"The plan to withdraw treatment will proceed unless the court directs otherwise."
A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "We recognise this is an exceptionally difficult time for Archie Battersbee's family and our thoughts are with them.
"The Government asked the High Court to urgently consider the request from the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities."