A 12-year-old boy with brain damage should be taken off life support, a British High Court has ruled, after specialists said they do not think it in the youngster’s best interests for treatment to continue.
Archie was left brain damaged since April, which his family describes as an accident that may have been linked to an online challenge, reports The Independent.
The High Court had been asked to decide what was in Archie’s best interests after the boy’s family challenged hospital proposals to turn off his life support. They had asked that their son be given more time, saying his heart was still beating.
The court previously gave doctors permission to stop treating Archie, ruling the boy had died at the end of May.
Last week the judge upheld the previous court ruling “with profound regret” that it was not in Archie’s best interests to continue treating him.
Mr Justice Hayden ruled on Friday that doctors at the Royal London Hospital could switch off life support. “This court has to ask itself whether continuation of ventilation in this case is in Archie‘s best interests,” the judge said.
“It is with the most profound regret, but on the most compelling of evidence, that I am driven to conclude it is not.
“… the treatment is futile, it compromises Archie‘s dignity, deprives him of his autonomy, and becomes wholly inimical to his welfare,” he said. “It serves only to protract his death, while being unable to prolong his life.”
A lawyer representing Archie’s parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, suggested that they wanted to try to challenge this ruling in the Court of Appeal.
Martin Westgate QC, who was representing hospital bosses, told the court on Monday Archie was “unresponsive” and had “no prospect” of recovering.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
‘Brain-dead’ boy’s parents win appeal fight in life-support case
Judge rules for mediation in brain damaged toddler’s life support treatment
UK judge to rule on baby’s continued life support