Archie Battersebee case-thread 2

[whynotwhatknot]

ongoing from previous thread

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4573803-archie-battersbee-case?page=40

He will just go on his own then, likely when the family aren't there and while they are still doing their own thing with interviews etc
If they switched the machines off at least she would have a day and be able to prepare rather than get a phone call to say he's gone

From Christian Concern's Facebook page..

BREAKING: This afternoon, the United Nations UN Committee on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (UN CRPD) has issued an injunction stating that the UK government must keep 12-year-old Archie Battersbee alive while the committee considers the case. The injunction states that life-support should not be removed despite rulings from the highest UK courts and most senior judges this week.

Responding to the news, Archie’s mum, Hollie Dance, said:

“I am so grateful to the UN for their response and acting so quickly for my son. We have been under so much stress and anxiety; we are already broken and the not-knowing what was going to happen next was excruciating. To get this news now means everything.

“This is the first time this has ever happened in history of this inhumane system in the UK. There have been so many ups and downs, but we have put on the full armour of God, gone into the battle and now we have given Archie time, that is all we have ever asked for.”

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre who have been supporting the families’ case, said:

“We are delighted with the response from the UN. It is high-time that the UK’s processes around proactively ending children’s lives came under international scrutiny.

“We now hope and pray that the UN Committee may do justice to Archie and his family, as well as to other disabled people in UK hospitals in future cases.

“Life is the most precious gift we have.

“We have stood with the family from the beginning three months ago following the tragedy and now continue to pray for this beautiful boy, Archie, and for everyone involved.”

We give thanks and ask that you continue to pray for Archie, his family and the hospital.

christianconcern.com/ccpressreleases/un-tells-the-uk-government-to-keep-archie-battersbee-alive/

'Proactively ending children's lives'? This is insane.

Bloody hell, you can only hope that the UN reviews the case and quickly come to the right conclusion. Poor child is gone. The NHS is on its knees anyway and we can't afford to have brain dead patients ventilated for decades, like in the US.

I can see what a horrible shattering thing it is to lose a child, and all the emotions that must have been stirred up in her by the awful way Archie's life has ended, but the mother has been very unfair to the health professionals caring for Archie. You wonder if the law could be changed that if you are relying on the NHS you have to rely on their judgment, within certain limits. Or opt out of using NHS services in the future.

"It is high-time that the UK’s processes around proactively ending children’s lives came under international scrutiny"

This is a disgraceful, libellous thing for his mum to say.

The UN should have rejected the plea to get involved. Knowing that 3 U.K. courts have seen all the medical reports.

I have no respect for his mother. It's inhumane keeping him like that and dragging out the inevitable.

That "quote" from Hollie sounds remarkably different from her facebook posts and interview answers. CC must have been pumped to be able to put out that statement on her behalf....

I find the whole disability thing awful ,my child has severe disabilities
I would trust the medics to do everything they could for him ,should he ever need it ,but in this case Archie isn't and never has been disabled.

"This is the first time this has ever happened in history of this inhumane system in the UK. There have been so many ups and downs, but we have put on the full armour of God, gone into the battle and now we have given Archie time, that is all we have ever asked for.”

I think what inhumane is keeping a child whose brain is necrotic on a ventilator to slowly watch his other organs fail and his body to waste away.

I think it's inhumane to ask medical professionals to continue to perform invasive treatments that serve no purpose in an atmosphere of hostility.

I think it's inhumane for the pictures of this child to be of his withered body, in a nappy for all his friends to witness as a last memory of him.

I don't know what's motivating Hollie at this point, but if it's genuinely her faith, then it's beyond time to stop "cheating" God's Will and let his body join his soul that already passed.

I hope now the UN proceed quickly to consider the evidence.

Has Hollie ever stated just how much 'time' they need? It's been over 3 months now, how long is she hoping to get?

According to the BBC it is a request from the UN, nothing more. I would not be at all surprised if CC are over egging the pudding as per usual. BBC also says that the hospital are already in touch with government lawyers.

Interested in what they mean by this:

Alistair Chesser, chief medical officer for Barts Health NHS Trust said: "We are giving Archie's loved ones time come to terms with the decision of the courts that treatment should not continue and are involving them in each stage.
"Any further delay in starting palliative care would not be appropriate without an order of the court."

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-62346356

They're saying they will proceed with withdrawal of life support, unless the court tells them not to? Or am I reading it wrong?

'Proactively ending children's lives'? This is insane.

I this statement is very strong. It's often been though Dance can't cope with the idea Archie actively tried to end his own life. This way they can transfer that blame and the guilt.

The more she and her legal Christian reps make statements the more I feel sorry for her. I absolutely don't agree with her. But she's clearly suffering with an idea of guilt.

The UN, as ever, a waste of time and money. So they've stepped into this case and not genocide in Ukraine?? Honestly, fuck off.

That little boy is dead. He's been dead for months.

This is macabre now.

Shame on all of them, except the medical professionals who know but have been abused.

Bloody fucking shameful

I think the God position is tenuous at best considering this is all likelihood a suicide. The family were baptised in hospital so Archie was not a practicing Christian at the time of the incident. I don't like religion being used in any way but this is especially crass.

She said they need to give it At least six months but I don't think that would be enough
It's awful I can't imagine the pain she's in but this is all just delaying the inevitable ,the longer this goes the worse it will get, she needs to lay him to rest and greive

There was a case in America where a four year old had a stroke, I think, as a consequence of bacterial meningitis, and his body was kept alive for twenty more years before dying. In the post mortem his brain was discovered to be totally calcified and unrecognisable.

I, for one, am glad that all the problems for disabled people in the world are now solved, so instead of bothering themselves with those issues, the UN can concentrate on bringing people back from the dead.

Maybe my disabled DS can now get the speech therapy he desperately needs (but the LA haven't provided since January) or young people can access mental health support in a timely fashion through the NHS or the problems with the benefit system which isn't fit for purpose for disabled people are now solved. You know, actual problems that disabled people face on a daily basis. Maybe I should contact the UN and see if they can organise it?

(Disclaimer - My list of problems facing disabled people are of course not exhausted - I haven't got all night)

I agree with @Andouillette the BBC are not calling it an injunction and it looks like that specific wording originated from the zealots press release.

This is from the BBC website, so essentially asking for status quo until they have had a chance to look into it, but making no presumption either way.

I really don't think that's fair ,we all react to things differently, I think all of the courts actions stops her from accepting the reality of her situation
Regardless of how she comes across and however abhorrent the situation is she's a mother who has lost her son
I really don't agree with what's she's doing but I absolutely feel for her.

I feel for her too but she's not accepting reality and she's being egged on by people with their own agendas that don't give a shit about Archie.

Once the life support is turned off they'll discard her and move onto the next one.