Posted on 07/26/22
| News Source: Washington Post
The parents of a 12-year-old British boy left in a coma after suffering a “catastrophic” brain injury three months ago have lost a court appeal to stop doctors from ending his life-support treatment.
Archie Battersbee was found unconscious at his home on April 7 with a “ligature” around his neck, according to court documents. His mother, Hollie Dance, has said she thinks he suffocated while attempting a viral online fad known as the “Blackout Challenge.”
Doctors at the Royal London Hospital, where the boy is being treated, believe that he is brain dead and that his body will eventually collapse even if life support continues.
An attorney for the boy’s parents told the court that his mother had seen her son breathe independently of a ventilator on Friday and Saturday, the Guardian newspaper reported.
According to court documents, Dance also reported feeling Archie squeeze her hand on one occasion. Medical staff said they had not witnessed “any sign of spontaneous life in him,” even during painful procedures.