Archie Battersbee - Thread 4

[BreadInCaptivity]

Previous thread:

Archie Battersbee - Thread 3 http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/inthee_news/4601962-archie-battersbee-thread-3

In all of this, I really hope the hospital staff have ongoing support. It must be a difficult job to start with, without all the press intrusion and some of the words that are being thrown about.

I personally find some of the comments on this thread to be quite unkind to a woman in the process of losing her child. If it were me, I have a boy the same age, and I would have to go down every avenue to fight on his behalf just so "what if?" thoughts didn't haunt me for the rest of my life.

She's probably already feeling an enormous amount of guilt that he's in this situation - not that it's her fault at all - on top of the denial. It's all she can do now for him to fight his corner for any tiny chance 'just in case', because once it's done it's done, and can't be undone.

It's really sad that a child in Archie's situation is thought of as a "bed-blocker" wasting NHS resources.

I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy what that family are going through.

I fear you are right, the next challenge will be she wants him moved to a hospice which will just cause more delay for this poor little soul.

Yeah they will probably put in an application to move him next. Poor boys heart would stop in a hospital corridor or the back of an ambulance.

I think this is the end of the road now.

The request to move to a hospice has been denied already (ergo would be a move abroad).

I'm not aware of any other legal challenges to be made and I hope the family do not go down the route of protests or trying to physically prevent withdrawal of treatment.

I used to work in psychiatric hospitals with children and their families after the kids had attempted suicide. The responses we got ranged from the parents taking all the blame to flat out denying the child had tried to kill themselves, and accusing us of fabricating evidence (even when their child was confirming that they had tried to kill themselves). A few times I had to call the police because parents were so threatening. But those were few and far between - most parents were shocked, angry, sad, frustrated, all the emotions really. But wanted to understand what lead to the situation in the first place and what they may need to do differently. The abuse of the hospital staff in this case is vile, but not unusual. I am sorry for these parents, and desperately sorry for the medical staff in this situation. BTW, if anyone wants to know more about decision making, listen to the Joan Bakewell 'Inside the Ethics Committee' programs - they are very interesting.

I don't think there is any appeal route left.

I haven't read the whole of this thread and the other threads but anyone who has read the court decisions cannot possibly think what Hollie Dance is doing is in her son's interest.

It being sad, which it undoubtedly is, doesn’t change reality.

In all of this, I really hope the hospital staff have ongoing support. It must be a difficult job to start with, without all the press intrusion and some of the words that are being thrown about.

Absolutely this. And what they're dealing with - the obvious deterioration for example - must be heartbreaking for all those responsible for his care. It cannot be easy no matter how much experience they all have.

I feel terrible for his parents, and feel they're clearly in the denial and bargaining stage of grief. They desperately need to believe he's alive and so have convinced themselves he's about to be executed. Their boy is still warm. They can still hear his voice in every exhalation. They can hear his heart beating and they can touch him and hold him. How could anyone accept that their loved one was dead and that their body was breaking down when they have such a scene in front of them? Everyone saying Hollie needs to accept reality.... how? How can she until he's really gone? They cannot accept that he's gone while he's still warm and "alive" in front of them, and while he is they can't understand that he's not ever going to recover. They're in an absolute whirlwind of pain and confusion. Probably exactly where most of us would be. God forbid we ever truly know how they feel.

I personally find some of the comments on this thread to be quite unkind to a woman in the process of losing her child. If it were me, I have a boy the same age, and I would have to go down every avenue to fight on his behalf just so "what if?" thoughts didn't haunt me for the rest of my life.

So you're saying you'd put your own wishes above the best interests of your child?

You think that's somehow good parenting?

This case is so distressing but as I understand it Archie sadly died when he hung himself. There is no death to prevent, Archie is already dead.
It's a terrible tragedy but this legal wrangling serves no purpose for Archie, who is the person who matters most here surely.
I sincerely wish his family peace and hope they get the help they need to grieve and accept what has happened.

She isn't in the process of losing him, he is already gone. Not many parents would want their child brain dead, decaying and wasting away in a hospital bed, which is why these cases are not common. There has been lots of empathy toward her but now what she's doing is blatantly denying reality, slandering the workers caring for Archie, and stirring up conflict for no understandable purpose.

I dont really know what is meant by unkind in this context though

In my mind she is being more than unkind to her son and the memory of her son. I find that unpleasant and unjustifiable. Pictures of him dead in national papers and on social media.

My family have gone through decision like this.

Not once did we have a go at the NHS staff, call them executioners or cause there to have to be security.

I discussed this with my son and husband last night- all agreed that if one of us were in this situation the other 2 must not put any of us through what Hollie Dance is putting Archie through.

ECHR reject application.

She’s not putting him through anything, he’s beyond suffering.

www.theguardian.com/society/2022/aug/03/echr-rejects-last-chance-appeal-from-parents-of-archie-battersbee

Excellent post, thank you for explaining. It’s a fairly serious mistake she is parroting to the Facebook group then.

It must be absolutely horrific. Forced to continue to “treat” a dead and decaying body.

Can she challenge the refusal to move him to a hospice?

@Runwalkskijump - I'm extremely sorry your family had to make a similar decision. I hope that during that horrific time there wasn't a group of people bitching about your family in a public online forum.

I'm not saying that the decisions hollie is making are the right decisions, but fuck me I can understand why she is making them - presumably supported by a team of lawyers. That's her baby at the end of the day, she is trying to protect him whilst she still can.

She is allowing him no dignity. She is protracting his death.