Washington D.C., Aug 3, 2022 / 19:00 pm
The mother of 12-year-old Archie Battersbee said that the family is “at the end” of their efforts to keep their son on life support after the European Court of Appeals (ECHR) refused to intervene in the UK case.
The latest setback may be the final one in the family’s fight to keep their son alive. Archie has been in a coma since April when he was found unconscious with a ligature around his neck. According to news reports, his family suspects he may have been taking part in a social media challenge.
The family is in a legal fight with Barts Health NHS Trust, which informed the parents that Archie will be taken off of life support. Doctors at Royal London Hospital, which is owned by Barts Health, have maintained that Archie is “very likely” brain-stem dead, with no chance of recovery. On Tuesday, Archie’s parents lost their appeal to the Supreme Court and decided to take their case to the ECHR.
When the ECHR announced on Wednesday they “would not interfere” with the UK court rulings, Archie’s mother, Hollie Dance, said the application was "another heart-breaking development,” the BBC reported.