A judge ruled that a 12-year-old boy with a catastrophic brain injury was dead and his treatment could be stopped.
Archie Buttersby did not regain consciousness after an incident at his home on April 7, when he was found with a ligature over his head.
On Monday, Ms. Justice Arbuthnot, sitting in the Supreme Court’s family ward, backed doctors at the Royal London Hospital in East London, who concluded that Archie was “dead from the brainstem” and should no longer be kept alive. She said doctors could legally stop treating him.
Archie’s mother, Holly Dance, of Southend, Essex, said she was overwhelmed by the decision and the family plans to appeal.
In a written decision, the judge said: “I find that Archie died at noon on May 31, 2022, shortly after the MRIs made that day. I find that the irreversible cessation of brainstem function has been definitively established.
“I allow the medical staff at the Royal London Hospital to stop mechanically ventilating Archie Buttersby; to extubate Archie Buttersby; discontinue Archie Battersbee medication and not attempt Archie Battersbee cardio or pulmonary resuscitation when cardiac output stops or respiratory arrest stops. The steps I outlined above are legal. “
She continued: “If Archie remains on mechanical ventilation, the probable outcome is sudden death and the chances of recovery are zero. He does not enjoy life and his brain damage is irreparable. His position will not improve. “
Dance said she was “devastated and extremely disappointed” by the decision. She said: “We intend to appeal and we will not give up Archie.”
She added: “I am very upset that the hospital and the judge did not take into account the wishes of the family. I don’t believe Archie has had enough time.
“His heart is still beating, he shook my hand and as his mother I know he is still there. Until he is in God’s way, I will not accept him to leave. I know of miracles when people return after brain death. This case raises important moral, legal and medical questions about when a person is dead. What does today’s decision tell us about where our society is? “
Archie’s family was supported by the Christian Law Center’s campaign.
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