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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Matthew Dresch

Archie Battersbee's family release details of funeral after 12-year-old's tragic death


The funeral of 12-year-old Archie Battersbee will to take place next month.

The youngster was put on life support after his mum Hollie Dance found him unconscious in their home on April 7.

Ms Dance and Archie's dad Paul Battersbee fought a legal bid against doctors' efforts to withdraw his life support.

He remained on life-saving equipment for four months, however judges ultimately sided with the NHS.

Ms Dance confirmed her son had died on August 6.

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The family were supported in their legal fight by a campaign group called the Christian Legal Centre.

A spokesman for the centre said on Thursday that Archie's funeral will take place at St Mary's Church in Prittlewell, Southend, on September 13.

The 12-year-old suffered brain damage in an incident at his home in Southend-on-Sea (PA)
Archie and his mum Hollie Dance, who fought a legal battle to keep him alive (PA)

It comes after Ms Dance called for a public inquiry into her son's case.

She said that while Archie's story has had a lot of publicity, many similar cases in the High Court's Family division don't due to reporting restrictions and kept away from public scrutiny.

"There should be a comprehensive public inquiry into the operation of this system; and then a change of the law to protect the grieving families from cruelty," she added.

Describing her final moments with her son, Ms Dance said: "The morning Archie died, I told him how much I loved him.

“At midday they took his pipe out. It took 15 minutes for his heart to stop. There was nothing ‘dignified’ about his death.

Hollie lost her legal battle to stop doctors withdrawing Archie's life support (PA)

"It was heartbreaking, watching your child suffocate. That image will never, ever leave me.”

A judge based in the Family Division of the High Court in London ruled in July that doctors could lawfully stop providing life-support treatment to the youngster.

He suffered brain damage in an incident at his home in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, in April.

Judges heard that Ms Dance found Archie unconscious with a ligature over his head on April 7.

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She thinks he might have been taking part in an online challenge.
The youngster did not regain consciousness.

Doctors treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, thought he was brain-stem dead and said continued life support treatment was not in his best interests.

Bosses at the hospital's governing trust, Barts Health NHS Trust, had asked for decisions on what medical moves were in Archie's best interests.

A High Court judge, Mrs Justice Arbuthnot, initially considered the case and concluded that Archie was dead.

But Court of Appeal judges upheld a challenge by his parents against decisions taken by Mrs Justice Arbuthnot and said the evidence should be reviewed by a different High Court judge, Mr Justice Hayden.

He ruled after a further hearing that ending treatment would be in Archie's best interests.

READ MORE:    Archie Battersbee's mum says online game that put son in coma has killed 82 kids
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