Archie Battersbee: Appeal court to hear life-support case again

Parents Hollie Dance (pictured) and Paul Battersbee have lost a new High Court hearing to continue life-support treatment for their son Archie

The parents of a 12-year-old boy at the centre of a life-support dispute have been granted an appeal hearing.

Archie Battersbee was found unconscious at home in Southend, Essex, on 7 April and doctors believe he is brain dead.

On Friday, a second High Court judge ruled it was in Archie's best interests to have hospital treatment withdrawn.

The Court of Appeal will hold a hearing on Thursday where Archie's parents Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee will ask for the decision to be overturned.

Last week, Mr Justice Hayden ruled that continued treatment was "futile" and that it "serves only to protract his death, whilst being unable to prolong his life".

Archie has not regained consciousness since his mother found him. She believes he had taken part in an online challenge.

Doctors treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in east London said tests showed he was "brain-stem dead" and have argued continued life support treatment was not in his best interests.

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Archie's parents disagree and say his heart is still beating.

In June, a first High Court judge ruled that Archie Battersbee was "brain-stem dead"

Another High Court judge, Mrs Justice Arbuthnot, initially considered the case in June where she concluded Archie had already died.

But Court of Appeal judges upheld a challenge by Archie's parents against decisions taken by Mrs Justice Arbuthnot and said the evidence should be reviewed at a new hearing.

Mr Justice Hayden heard a new case last week but again ruled that Archie had "no hope at all of recovery".

He described what happened to Archie as a "tragedy of immeasurable dimensions".

Speaking outside court on Friday, Ms Dance called the ruling to stop treatment a "crushing blow".

"The planned removal of the ventilator is definitely the worst thing that may happen from my point of view. I cannot see how this is in any way dignified," she said.