The Archie Battersbee Case #8

[OoErrMissus]

I was speaking about this to a colleague today, said it was for the best for Archie’s support to be switched off and got the usual ‘a mother knows what’s best for her child’. Generally perhaps yes but in this case clearly not. I swear if they reject the appeal but give her another 9am get out….

As a paediatric nurse, that's one phrase that really grates on me.

If all mothers knew what was best for their kids, Children's Social Services would be out of business by the weekend.

 

[Blockster]

When my partner was in a coma and like Archie his brain stem had died, the respect and dignity the doctors and nurses showed him was beautiful. They spoke to him, told him what they were doing, they washed him, changed him into clean pj's, honestly it was so amazing and because I was pregnant they cried with me, which if I'm honest did shock me as I thought they would have been quite hardened and seen everything.
So I can only imagine how gentle and kind they are treating that little boy.

 

[Tamar]

100% suicide. She should be focussing on what drove him to it and perhaps his legacy could then be child mental health awareness. Not this ugly mess she’s created.

Hollie is hiding something, probably not direct involvement, but he wasn't found for a long time, so whether she was out of the house or just generally ignoring him enough for him to do it without being discovered, so she's trying to cover up her shit parenting, who knows
Let's be honest here. If you found your kid hanging that shit would be burned on your brain. You would know whether you were already in the house or had come in from outside and found him. You might be a little vague about the exact timing because time does funny things when you're in an emergency situation, but you would remember whether you were in or out of the house and whether you cut him down, or found him already at the bottom of the stairs or laying on the floor at the top of the stairs.
The plod should have picked up on that but they wont move to do anything until he's gone, but in all cases I have dealt with they keep in constant contact until the kid passes or gets discharged from ICU
We will see with the inquiry

 

[Gotta Have Faith]

Think this is reasonable everyone??

 

[influenzas]

100% suicide. She should be focussing on what drove him to it and perhaps his legacy could then be child mental health awareness. Not this ugly mess she’s created.

 

[BeansOnBeans]

Thank goodness we have the army with their wealth of medical and legal knowledge to help!

Do us a favour Laura, don't go to any hospital, any GP or any NHS Service.

Use your woo woo wand and see if Donna down the road has something in the Avon catalogue to treat you.

 

[ChastityDingle]

Just want to say thanks to all of you who have shared your medical knowledge and expertise on the various threads.
I have enormous respect for those who work in health care, at all levels. (I know I couldn't do it).

Thanks also to those who explained the various legal steps and processes.
I do hope that this story will be over soon. It's so sad, poor Archie, he seems to have had a very hard life.

To those who have shared your experiences and for whom all of this is bringing back difficult memories, thank you so much for sharing your stories.

 

[2ofeach]

absolutely no way a life support would be switched off at midnight -imagine the noise of a distraught family

It definitely happens and other factors can't always dictate the clock.

We needed to withdraw life support of a family member however they were also donating organs so lots of boxes needed ticking, tests run, documents signed, organ recipients lined up, moving our family member to an area on the ward which would accommodate us all, getting momentos, handprints, heart reading etc.... the clock was irrelevant. The process needed to be followed to the letter.

By the time all this was done and the transplant teams at each location were in place we were reaching midnight so it was decided that midnight was when all support and medical intervention would be withdrawn.

All throughout the staff could not do enough, even the domestic staff. They were all fantastic, explained exactly what and why they were doing things, answering numerous queries, mindful of our plight throughout. The duty of care was exemplary.

The only time restraint we were under was that they needed to die within 3 hours and once they had died we only had 5 mins to say goodbye due to the theatre team needing to remove the organs.

Once all equipment was withdrawn they left us alone to say goodbye only coming in to do vital progress checks on our family member. We made that time special and it was quite beautiful and memorable which I'll always treasure.

Unfortunately our family member exceeded the 3 hour window so their organs we no longer viable and all teams stood down. This still pains me enormously.

Comparing our situation to this, they are poles apart. Difference being we knew nothing could be done for our loved one. It wasn't what was best for us but solely what was the right action to take for them.
All tests, scans, medical intervention proved fruitless and we accepted there was only one path to take and listen to the professionals. And in doing so I'm certain it made our loss easier to accept.
We didn't once feel torn or tortured with our decision.

Much too late in this case sadly!

 

[Blockster]

When my partner was in a coma and like Archie his brain stem had died, the respect and dignity they showed him was beautiful. They spoke to him, told him what they were doing, they washed him, changed him into clean pj's, honestly it was so amazing and because I was pregnant they cried with me, which if I'm honest did shock me as I thought they would have been quite hardened and seen everything.
So I can only imagine how gentle and kind they are treating that little boy.

I'm so sorry for your loss x

Thankyou, it was over 19 years ago but wow this has really bought up old feelings and emotions. X

 

[tigerlilly_xx]

im fucking done with her.

 

[Annecdote]

ITV news have said the parents wish is that he dies with dignity and in privacy. Is this woman for real? You have deprived him of both in this circus!

 

[judgejohndeed]

To be fair, what's happening to Archie sounds quite medically complex, we can't all be doctors and nurses and it probably is even more difficult to understand if you are wracked with shock/grief. I think the bigger problem is why certain groups don't trust doctors/hospitals. What has possibly gone wrong in Hollie's head for her to think medical professionals want to kill her child?

 

[Warriorqueen]

I just heard a snippet on the radio of Ms Dance discussing the ‘TikTok’ craze which resulted in Archie’s injuries.

Yeah and the rest. That poor little love took his own life.

 

[Warriorqueen]

Are they hoping that the mother will be less feisty if it's the middle of the night?

I feel for my colleagues and the trauma they’ll experience

 

[tablesandchairs]

The case is being discussed on radio 4 right now very sensibly. What is being done to Archie by keeping him in this state has just been referred to as ‘common law assault’.

 

[kittenattack]

I think they really need to improve science education in this country beyond 'heads, shoulders, knees and toes', if they want the population to understand basic bodily functions - like you need a brain to survive - otherwise these cases will increase.

 

[Prefrontalmedialcortex]

Just been reading about this heartbreaking story on Twitter as it is trending and I came across this photo, I don’t how old it is, whether recent or not. Who in their right mind would pose for a photo like this? My mind is blown. I have no words. I am speechless.

 

[NokiaRingtone]

Just want to say thanks to all of you who have shared your medical knowledge and expertise on the various threads.
I have enormous respect for those who work in health care, at all levels. (I know I couldn't do it).

Thanks also to those who explained the various legal steps and processes.
I do hope that this story will be over soon. It's so sad, poor Archie, he seems to have had a very hard life.

To those who have shared your experiences and for whom all of this is bringing back difficult memories, thank you so much for sharing your stories.

As a paediatric nurse it's actually been nice to come here and vent and have a civilised conversation about whats going on. I've been avoiding facebook and twitter because it's wild out there. Thanks to everyone for their input. I've learned a lot about the legal process!

 

[emmer_moans]

I understand it can seem like Hollie is receiving hate because of class, however her stories do not add up, she is acting with hatred towards the very staff who tried their best, is abusing the appeals process (appealing should be allowed, once or twice, not half a dozen times), her press history under previous name shows she courts fame, and wants to seek someone else to blame. Her 'army' seem all as thick as mince, assuming a team of doctors are murderers etc. Despicable behaviour which does unfortunately confirm to stereotype.

However, if instead Archie's parents were the toffest of the Toffs and still behaving the same way with false accusations, abusing the courts, ignoring Archie's dignity, courting press, I for one would be thinking exactly the same about the situation. It is the BEHAVIOUR which disgusts me. The contempt for medical facts put to her and the courts, the unfounded accusations of murder, the evidence of Archie feeling depressed beforehand. She could literally be one of the Royals and we would still be on this thread, discussing how sad this is and how contemptible the behaviour is. Stupidity is everywhere.

 

[jackolantern]

Something that's really getting to me is the entitlement. Your son is dead and you expect the world to move mountains for you. What about all the poorly children and their families who are in the hospital? Why don't they matter? Those children are living and you are putting them through the unimaginable with your disgusting behaviour and they are no doubt having more strained relationships with the staff because they will be so exhausted from dealing with you. These children and their families are going through the worst time in their lives, scared, in pain, exhausted and as if that isn't bad enough, they have you in the background. If her treatment of her own child isn't enough, she has to subject other children to it as well. If that doesn't sum up who she is as a person, nothing will honestly. If I was the hospital, I wouldn't let her in now and that's that.