12-year-old boy left in a comatose condition after suffering brain damage is expected to end his supportive treatment on Monday, despite his mother’s pleas to the Government.
Barts Health NHS Trustwho cares for Archie Battersbee, said in a letter to his parents that “all fluid infusions, medications, including vasopressin will be stopped” at 2 p.m. on Aug. 1.
It comes after Archie’s mom, Hollie Danceurged the Health Secretary to “act immediately” to stop the termination of treatment, saying it would be “a flagrant violation” of his rights.
The letter, sent this weekend and shown to the PA news agency, reads: “We understand that all the discussions about the withdrawal of Archie’s treatment are very difficult and painful.
“However, we want to make sure you and your family get involved as much as you want.”
Ms Dance and Paul Battersbee, the boy’s parents, will be told on Monday morning how the withdrawal process should go, with the aim of ‘maintaining Archie’s dignity’, the letter says.
It went on, “You or one of the family members may want to lie on Archie’s bed with him or have him in your arms, if that’s practically possible.”
A Supreme Court judge had ruled in Archie’s best interests to end the trial after examining the evidence.
Ms Dance and Mr Battersbee, who are divorced but both live in Southend, Essex, failed to convince the Court of Appeal judges to overturn that ruling and the Supreme Court judges have refused to intervene.
Archie’s parents are supported by the campaign organization, the Christian Juridisch Centrum.
Write to Minister of Health Stephen Barclay on Saturday, Ms Dance said: “If this happens it will be extraordinary cruelty and a blatant violation of Archie’s rights as a disabled person.
“Archie has the right to have the decisions about his life and death made by the NHS and UK courts reviewed by an international human rights body. Hastening his death to prevent that would be totally unacceptable.
“I trust that you will now act immediately, as a member of the government responsible for the NHS, to ensure that this does not happen, and that our country fulfills its obligations under the international human rights treaties that we have signed and ratified. “
They have also asked the United Nations to intervene in a “last-ditch” request.
The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has written to Archie’s parents and legal team saying that it had “requested the state to [the UK] to refrain from withdrawing life-saving medical treatment, including mechanical respiration and artificial feeding and hydration, from the alleged victim while the case is pending before the commission.”
It added: “This request does not imply that a decision has been made on the merits of the case in question.”
The family said stopping treatment would violate the UK’s obligations under international human rights law.
Archie’s parents have asked hospital bosses to continue treatment until the UN considers the matter.
Judges in London have heard that on April 7, Ms Dance found Archie unconscious with a ligature over his head.
She thinks he entered an online challenge.
The boy has not regained consciousness.
Doctors treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, believe he is brain stem dead and say continuing life-support treatment is not in his best interests.
Barts Health NHS Trust chief medical officer Alistair Chesser said Friday that “further delay” in starting to provide “palliative care” to Archie would be “inappropriate” without a court order.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We recognize that this is an exceptionally difficult time for Archie Battersbee’s family and our thoughts are with them.
“We have received the letter and will respond in due course.”