Archie Battersbee: Family to learn if they can appeal to keep boy on life support

Archie Battersbee's family is preparing to mount an appeal bid after a judge's ruling concluding that he is dead.

The 12-year-old boy is at the centre of a life-support treatment dispute after he suffered brain damage in an incident at his home in Southend, Essex, in April.

Mrs Justice Arbuthnot recently ruled that doctors could lawfully stop providing treatment to Archie, after the judge considered evidence at a trial in the Family Division of the High Court in London.

Members of Archie’s family want Court of Appeal judges to consider the case and are due to launch an appeal bid today (Monday, 20 June).

Archie's parents have led a campaign to stop their son's life support being switched off.

His mother, Hollie Dance, has said she believes he is still aware of his surroundings, and described him gripping her hand in his hospital bed.

Supporters have held prayer vigils outside the east London hospital where Archie remains on life support.

A spokesman for campaign organisation the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Archie’s family, said relatives will use a follow-up High Court hearing to ask Mrs Justice Arbuthnot to give them the go-ahead to mount an appeal.

Relatives must establish they have an arguable case before a full appeal hearing can be staged.

Doctors treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, told Mrs Justice Arbuthnot they think the youngster is “brain-stem dead”.

They said treatment should end and think Archie should be disconnected from a ventilator.

Archie’s parents, Ms Dance and Paul Battersbee, claim their son's heart is still beating and want treatment to continue.

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

Mrs Justice Arbuthnot heard that Archie suffered brain damage in an incident at home in early April.

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

Archie has not regained consciousness.

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