Cal Gaunt
The mum of Archie Battersbee says she will give him ‘mouth-to-mouth’ if his life support is turned off.
After attempts to keep the 12-year-old on life support via British and European Courts failed and doctors rejected family wishes over welfare concerns, attention has turned to letting him ‘die with dignity’ in a hospice.
Battersbee’s mum, Holly Dance, told The Sun she will go to any length to keep him alive, commenting: “If Archie is denied oxygen if and when life support is removed I will continue to give him oxygen.
Watch as Archie Battersbee’s mum talk about yesterday’s European Court ruling…
“I pray that the High Court will do the right thing. If they refuse permission for us to take him to a hospice and for him to receive palliative oxygen it will simply be inhumane and nothing about Archie’s dignity.
“The whole system has been stacked against us.
“Reform must now come through Charlie’s Law so that no parents have to go through this.
“We will fight to the end for Archie’s right to live.”
The European Court of Human Right (ECHR) rejected a family appeal on Wednesday requesting to delay any further changes to Battersbee’s treatment.
Despite his life support being scheduled to end at 11am on Thursday, a bid to have him moved into a hospice has extended his treatment – with the family wishing for Archie to ‘spend his last moments’ together with family in a more private setting.
Archie Battersbee’s Life Support To Continue As Parents Push Hospice Move
The family told Sky News yesterday: “Archie is now obviously on palliative care so there is no reason whatsoever for him not to take his last moments at a hospice.”
However, Barts Health NHS Trust said: “Archie’s condition is too unstable for a transfer and that moving him by ambulance to a hospice would most likely hasten the premature deterioration the family wish to avoid, even with full intensive care equipment and staff on the journey.”
Battersbee has been comatose since he was found unconscious at home in April and was subsequently found to have a ligature over his head.
He remains on a ventilator with drug treatment at Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.
Dance has reportedly said she thinks Battersbee was taking part in an ‘online challenge’ when he fell ill.
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