Archie Battersbee: Family waiting for judge's ruling over life-support decision

  • ITV News Anglia's Charlie Frost reports from the hearing at the High Court

The family of a 12-year-old boy with brain damage are waiting for a High Court judge's ruling on whether his life-support treatment should continue.

Archie Battersbee has been in an induced coma for the past two months after being found unconscious at home, and doctors treating him at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, think he is is “brain-stem dead”.

They say life-support treatment should end and the youngster should be disconnected from a ventilator.

Archie’s parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, from Southend, Essex, say the youngster’s heart is still beating and want treatment to continue.

Hollie Dance, Archie Battersbee's mother, outside the High Court. Credit: James Manning/PA

The High Court heard this week that his family are now "praying for miracles" as they hope for his recovery.

Lawyers representing the Royal London Hospital’s governing trust, Barts Health NHS Trust, have asked Mrs Justice Arbuthnot to decide what moves are in Archie’s best interests.

Mrs Justice Arbuthnot on Wednesday finished overseeing a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London.

She said she aimed to deliver ruling on Monday.

The judge heard that Archie suffered brain damage in an incident at home in early April.

Ms Dance told how she found him unconscious with a ligature over his head on 7 April and thinks he might have been taking part in an online challenge.

The youngster has not regained consciousness. Lawyers representing Archie’s family have told the judge that his heart is still beating.

They also say there was an issue as to whether “the correct procedure” had been followed, and whether the “family’s views” had been taken into account.

A campaign organisation called the Christian Legal Centre is supporting Archie’s family.

Ms Dance told GMB earlier this week that "as a mother my gut feeling tells me my little boy is in there and I will continue to fight for him".

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