Archie Battersbee, 12, is being laid to rest today, months after his family lost a legal struggle to keep him on life support.
A High Court judge ruled in July that doctors could legally discontinue life-support treatment for the child, who suffered brain damage in April following a suspected TikTok challenge at his home in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.
After Archie’s mother, Hollie Dance, and father, Paul Battersbee, failed in their attempts to overturn Mr Justice Hayden’s judgement, doctors discontinued therapy in early August.
Archie’s funeral is going place at St Mary’s Church in Prittlewell, Southend, under the direction of the Reverend Paul Mackay, with music and poetry performed in front of a large congregation.
The child’s silver casket was accompanied to the church by dozens of family members wearing purple ribbons and other purple objects, as a video of Archie singing was played before the church choir took over.
“One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey was performed.
A representative of Southend Gymnastics Club, where Archie was a member, recalled the first time she met Archie as a toddler during the service.
She said he had “beautiful eyes and sparkling blonde hair” and “the cheekiest smile I’ve ever seen.”
Today, Archie Battersbee’s casket is taken into St. Mary’s Church in Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, in preparation for his funeral.
Today, Archie’s mother Hollie Dance (shown on the right) arrives at St. Mary’s Church in Prittlewell for his funeral.
The Christian Legal Centre, a family-supporting advocacy group, has announced that Reverend Paul Mackay will preside over a ceremony featuring music and poetry.
The 12-year-old who was at the center of a summertime battle for life-support treatment passed away on August 6.
On April 7, Ms. Dance reportedly discovered Archie unconscious with a ligature over his head. She believes he may have participated in an online challenge. The child did not recover consciousness.
Doctors treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, believed he was brain-stem dead and stated that it was not in his best interests to continue life-support treatment.
The hospital’s administrators, the Barts Health NHS Trust, wanted a High Court judge to determine which medical interventions were in Archie’s best interests.
Mrs. Justice Arbuthnot initially examined the case and determined that Archie had passed away.
Judges of the Court of Appeal, however, supported Archie’s parents’ challenge to Mrs. Justice Arbuthnot’s judgement and ruled that the evidence should be reconsidered by a different High Court judge.
The media are permitted to attend Archie’s funeral by Archie’s family. The image depicts the interior of St. Mary’s Church in Prittlewell.
St Mary’s Church in Prittlewell, where Archie’s funeral is being held, dates to the 7th century, when a modest Anglo-Saxon chapel was constructed on the site.
After a second hearing, Mr. Justice Hayden determined that terminating Archie’s treatment would be in his best interests.
Ms. Dance is planning to meet with a health minister to explore the ramifications of the Archie case.
She wrote to Steve Barclay, the health secretary at the time of Archie’s death, requesting a meeting with her representative, Anna Firth.
Mr. Barclay, who is no longer secretary of health, said that a minister will review Archie’s situation.
According to the Christian Legal Centre, no meeting date has yet been set.