Archie Battersbee’s parents have lost a bid to challenge a High Court ruling that denied his transfer to a hospice at the Court of Appeal.
The 12-year-old’s parents applied to the Court of Appeal on Friday, after losing a High Court bid to have him moved to a hospice before his life-sustaining treatment is withdrawn.
The Court of Appeal confirmed on Friday shortly after 6.30pm that permission to appeal had been refused.
His parents have fought a long-running legal battle over the withdrawal of his treatment, which ultimately failed on Wednesday when the European Court of Human Rights refused to intervene.
Archie Battersbee
Hollie Dance
Hollie Dance
James Manning
Their focus then shifted to trying to get their son moved to a hospice, but in a ruling at the High Court on Friday morning, Mrs Justice Theis concluded it was not in Archie’s best interests to be moved.
Mrs Justice Theis concluded her judgment by saying: “I return to where I started, recognising the enormity of what lays ahead for Archie’s parents and the family.
“Their unconditional love and dedication to Archie is a golden thread that runs through this case.
“I hope now Archie can be afforded the opportunity for him to die in peaceful circumstances, with the family who meant so much to him as he clearly does to them.”
Following the ruling on Friday morning, Archie's mum Hollie Dance said: “All our wishes as a family have been denied by the authorities.
“We are broken, but we are keeping going, because we love Archie and refuse to give up on him.”
The boy has been in a coma since he was found unconscious by his mother in April and is being kept alive by a combination of medical interventions, including ventilation and drug treatments, at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London.
Campaign group Christian Concern said Archie Battersbee’s family have been told his life-sustaining treatment will be withdrawn from 10am on Saturday.
Barts Health NHS Trust said its position remains the same in that no changes will be made to Archie’s care “until the outstanding legal issues are resolved”.
