Sadly, Archie Battersbee died from a cerebral haemorrhage after being strangled, an inquest heard today.
The 12-year-old took part in what his family believes was a social media “blackout challenge,” and in April, his mother discovered him unconscious at home in Southend, Essex.
After his mother Hollie Dance struggled for weeks to stop the NHS from cutting off his life support, he passed away last Saturday.
Doctors warned that he had irreversible brain damage and had little chance of recovery, but his family battled to keep him alive in front of the High Court, Court of Appeal, and European Court of Human Rights.
All of her requests were turned down, including Ms. Dance’s request that he be sent to a hospice last week after the Barts Health NHS Trust in east London warned that there was a chance he would pass away during the transfer without his loved ones by his side.
Coroner’s officer Paul Donaghy said at today’s inquest that Archie was discovered unconscious on April 7 in his residence.
According to the paramedics that responded, the patient had a Glasgow Coma Scale of just 3, and a cardiac arrest had been verified. Archie had ongoing CPR before being sent to Southend Hospital.
“After being transported to the Royal London Hospital and Great Ormand Street Hospital, both facilities agreed that Archie would not benefit from surgical intervention.
During his hospitalisation, the Paediatric Neurology team examined him.
Multiple medical experts from the Royal London, Queen’s, and Great Ormond Street Hospitals offered second views and concurred that Archie had had a serious, permanent brain damage.
Applications were filed with the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court to decide Archie’s care plan and what was in his best interests.
“On August 6, 2022, in a side room on the critical care unit, life-sustaining treatment was discontinued with the authority of the last court ruling.
Archie passed away surrounded by his loved ones. An expert from the hospital has verified the death.
According to Mr. Donaghy, a catastrophic hypoxic-ischemic brain damage owing to strangling was determined to be the preliminary cause of death.
The formal inquest into Archie’s death will take place on February 7 of next year, according to Senior Coroner for Essex Lincoln Brookes.
He informed the jury that an inquest wouldn’t include any trials and would only be used to determine who died, where they died, when they died, and how they died.
I also want to take this time to emphasise that Archie’s passing is a tragedy that so many people, particularly his family, are personally affected by,’ he said.
On behalf of myself and my officers, I’d like to express my sincere sympathies to Archie’s family.
In several recent tragedies, parents have battled against physicians’ decisions to discontinue giving their children life support after it was determined that it was no longer in their best interests. Archie’s story is just one of many.
Most people agree that these conflicts are very distressing for everyone involved, and there are demands for a reform of the law regarding parental and state rights to prevent future conflicts over children’s lives.
Alfie Evans, a 23-month-old baby from Liverpool, northwest England, died in April 2018 after medics turned off his life support following a contentious dispute between the hospital and his parents.
Just days before he passed away, his parents, who had the backing of Pope Francis, sought to transport him to a clinic in Rome but lost a last court appeal.
After doctors removed life support, Charlie Gard, who was born in August 2016 and had a rare type of mitochondrial illness that causes gradual muscular weakening, passed just one week before his first birthday.
His parents had engaged in a five-month court struggle to get him sent to the US for an experimental course of therapy.
His plight garnered widespread sympathy, notably from Pope Francis and former US President Donald Trump, and 350,000 people signed a petition requesting that he be let to go to the US.
Such situations are almost always hotly fought, and the participation of religious organisations may make it much harder for family and friends to decide.
In court, Archie’s medical team claimed that additional treatment was not in his best interests since he was almost probably “brain dead.”
They said Archie passed away at the end of May after experiencing a “irreversible termination of brain stem function.”
His family, however, disagreed, citing Hollie’s account of Archie holding her hand, opening his eyes, and even sobbing.
Following this, doctors conducted tests but discovered no change in Archie’s health.
I know I’ve done a great job as Archie’s mother, as his mother once commented.
Based on my own upbringing, I made it my mission to be the greatest mother I can be, and I believe I have accomplished this to the best of my abilities. It’s among the causes for my presence.