The mother of a 12-year-old boy who suffered a “catastrophic” brain injury three months ago says she will keep fighting despite losing the latest round of a battle to continue his life-support treatment. Doctors say continued treatment is not in Archie Battersbee’s best interests and should end.
Archie’s parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, from Southend in Essex, disagree, and say his heart is still beating. A judge, who reviewed evidence at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court earlier this week, concluded on Friday that ending treatment was in Archie’s best interests.
Mr Justice Hayden described what had happened to Archie as a “tragedy of immeasurable dimensions”. But he said medical evidence was “compelling and unanimous”, and painted a “bleak” picture.
