The boy’s parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, wanted the treatment to continue, saying earlier this year his heart was still beating and that he had gripped his mother’s hand.
Archie Battersbee, who suffered “devastating” brain damage, has died after his life support was turned off.
His mother Hollie Dance stood outside the hospital and said she was “the proudest mum in the world”.
She said Archie was “such a beautiful little boy and he fought right until the very end, and I am so proud to be his mum”.
He died at 12.15pm, Ms Dance said.
“He was taken off medication at 10am and his stats remained stable until two hours later when they removed the ventilation,” said Ella Rose Carter, the fiance of Archie’s eldest brother Tom, speaking on behalf of the family.
“There is absolutely nothing dignified about watching a family member or a child suffocate.
“We hope no family has to go through what we have been through. It’s barbaric.”
Ms Carter and Archie’s mother then collapsed into each other’s arms, cried, hugged and walked slowly back into the hospital.
The 12-year-old had been at the centre of a lengthy legal dispute after he was seriously injured in an incident at his home in Southend, Essex, in April.
He had been in a coma since then and had not regained consciousness, being kept alive by a combination of medical interventions, including ventilation and drug treatments.
Alistair Chesser, chief medical officer at Barts Health NHS Trust – which oversaw Archie’s care – said in a statement: “Members of his family were present at [Archie’s] bedside and our thoughts and heartfelt condolences remain with them at this difficult time.
“The trust would like to thank the medical, nursing, and support staff in the paediatric intensive care department who looked after Archie following his awful accident.
“They provided high-quality care with extraordinary compassion over several months in often trying and distressing circumstances. This tragic case not only affected the family and his carers but touched the hearts of many across the country.”
The ‘golden thread’ running through the case
The family’s love for Archie was described by one judge as the “golden thread” running through the case.
Speaking to Sky News earlier this week, Ms Dance, said: “I don’t think there’s been a day that hasn’t been awful, really. It’s been really hard.
“Despite the hard, strong face and appearance, obviously, in front of the cameras, up until now, I’ve been pretty broken.”
Archie’s family had been fighting for his life support treatment to continue in the hope that he would recover.
“I’ve done everything that I promised my little boy I’d do, and I’ve done it,” she added.
Source : https://news.sky.com/story/archie-battersbee-12-dies-after-life-support-is-turned-off-12633585
