The Archie Battersbee case

[Lalalemon]

Archie Battersbee’s mother: “stop them slaughtering my son”

After the ruling, which gives the doctors of the 12-year-old with a severe brain injury, permission to remove his life support, Archie's family declare they intend to appeal and denounce the collusion between the judge and doctors and the serious failures of the London Royal Hospital: "They...

newdailycompass.com

I take it people have seen the above interview his Mother did? It's absolutely disgusting and full of lies and nonsense.

Not to mention she's put a photo of him in a nappy all over the internet... where's the dignity in that?

 

[LaBlonde]

Archie Battersbee’s mother: “stop them slaughtering my son”

After the ruling, which gives the doctors of the 12-year-old with a severe brain injury, permission to remove his life support, Archie's family declare they intend to appeal and denounce the collusion between the judge and doctors and the serious failures of the London Royal Hospital: "They...

newdailycompass.com

I take it people have seen the above interview his Mother did? It's absolutely disgusting and full of lies and nonsense.

Not to mention she's put a photo of him in a nappy all over the internet... where's the dignity in that?

i don’t know where to even start about any of that but this in particular jumped out at me:

“Sometimes, I wonder if Archie has been chosen to go through all this because he is able to. He was so fit physically he can take a lot.”

an incredibly strange thing to say about your young son?! she also refers to him as “an athlete” multiple times - the poor kid is 12 years old. he might have been good at sport but that doesn’t make him an elite sportsman to the level that he somehow becomes indestructible.

i bet the hospital just want her gone by this point. i have to ask what her endgame here is - does she want the machines unplugged? what does she think will happen if they are?

 

[Pineapple glitter]

I can understand why Leah Betts parents released a photo of her (face) on life support and the purpose it served raising acute awareness of when drug taking goes wrong.
There's no reason I can think of why Archie's mother would need to release a picture of her 12 year old son in a nappy. Everyone is entitled to a dignified death.

 

[MrsBsDayOff]

Reading the medical details in the Judgement was really upsetting. That poor child shouldn't be subjected to this. And I say this as a Mum who lost a child.

I think there is a huge backstory behind this and his Mum is lashing out at all the wrong people - understandably, I'd add.

I agree I think there may be more to this than the family are letting on.

It's a desperately tragic case and I understand the family's pain but personally I think he should be let go.

 

[Apple In My Pie]

I feel so sorry for the family, such a tragic loss of life. I’ve been seeing that the boy did a ‘tiktok trend gone wrong’, that bit baffled me as I’m on tiktok a lot and have younger family members who love doing all the trends on tiktok and I haven’t heard of a trend like this. but that said i also think there is more to the story than meets the eye.

I am not religious so can’t comment on the religious aspect, but, I don’t believe that it is God keeping Archie alive; it is man, it is machine, and if Archie wasn’t connected to those ventilators I don’t believe he would survive, and if he did he would have a poor quality of life, that I don’t think anyone would enjoy or want for themselves.

It reminds me of the Alfie Evans and Charlie Gard cases. I hope the poor boy is allowed to pass peacefully.

 

[Lalalemon]

It's all the utter nonsense about the doctors wanting him dead so they can harvest his organs as well.... they're not going to be any fit state to transplant at his point, plus they'd obviously need her permission to use them. The sheer stupidity of it all is mindblowing!

 

[lastdis]

I think the mum just needs time to realise there no chance , my unborn baby had most of her brain missing, we was very nicely told thatit was me keeping her alive and once born she would pass away , dr said it would be kinder to me and baby to terminate. It took me weeks and many drs telling me to realise what was best. For a while I thought no they are wrong, I googled and never found a good outcome. The difference was I didn’t have do gooders in my head telling me the drs are wrong

 

[youRjokingHunz]

Have read about this in the news, am heartbroken for the family.

but the evidence points to her son being dead, and she needs to let him go, she clearly can’t accept it.. him breathing, being pink and warm, her own brain can’t understand it .

must be so hard for everyone
The medics involved must be having a terrible time as well.. her anger at the situation is pointed at them!

Sometimes it’s best to let them go in the Resus room! But the would not do that with a child.
God rest his soul and give solace to his family x

 

[HoGi]

The comments on the latest daily mail article makes me despair.

"I believe he isn't dead" have you seen his medical notes Karen?

"The doctors and judges shouldn't decide who lives and dies" it happens every day. Cancer deemed no longer viable to continue treatment. Resuscitation stopped etc.

His mum denied the hospital permission to do a brain stem test. She said she knew that would be the beginning of the end. So his mum deep down knows he is brain dead. I just can't understand why she is dragging out his death in such an undignified way.

 

[super grateful]

This case fascinates me.

I’m a Neurological ICU nurse, so I care for people who are brain stem dead all of the time.

Firstly, the absolute hate towards nurses and doctors a) sadly doesn’t surprise me but b) is disgusting. I can’t imagine the hell those poor people are going through, just trying to provide care to that boy yet having everything they are doing being pictured / documented / pulled apart.

Secondly, all of these grief tourists are disgusting. The family do not need people “siding” with them and encouraging them.

Thirdly, we NEVER ask people to make the decision to “pull the plug” (I absolutely hate that saying by the way, there isn’t a plug. If there was then I’d have accidentally unplugged it multiple times). It’s 100% a medical decision, because no family member should have to live with the burden of knowing they made that call.

As you sensible people seem to be aware, your brain stem controls the important bits of your body. Breathing, blood pressure, temperature, etc. If your brain is super damaged and swollen, it will crush your brain stem and these functions will become impaired.

So when you are brain stem dead, you’ll need to be 100% mechanically ventilated and require very strong medications to support your blood pressure, which will affect your body in horrible ways. If the ventilator is stopped, your vital organs won’t be being perfused anymore, so there goes that heart beat that everyone is saying this poor boy has. Which is also being backed up by the strong medications.

I’ve also seen lots of posts about the hospital staff starving him and how much weight he has lost. That’ll be the result of him a) being dead and b) all his muscle mass reduction from being in bed for however many weeks. Also his gut isn’t absorbing the enteral feed due to, sorry for being so blunt, being dead. So pumping it into him really isn’t the most sensible thing to do. What aren’t the family getting here?

Also, even on the ventilator and strong medications to keep everything pumping nicely, he is still at risk of having an embolism or a cardiac arrest so sadly dying on the ventilator, which really isn’t dignified or pretty. And another reason to bash and sue the healthcare professionals I’m sure.

I’m aware I sound like a heartless cow but I just don’t get why they would put themselves through all this pain and suffering. It doesn’t seem like they are thinking of this poor boy anymore, it’s entirely self serving now. And becoming Christian so they’ll get everything funded by a Christian charity? Or at least that’s what it looks like, sorry.

Just could have all been over weeks ago, done with dignity and Grace, and they could be grieving and caring for one another like many many other families sadly have to do every day.

Also to add, “god is keeping him here” and such things get me. I’m from a catholic family so I get the gist, and I’m no way saying nurses / doctors / healthcare professionals are heroes or whatever, but is god the one drawing up drugs, doing non stop maths, working the ventilator, physically mobilsing the patient, running around for 13hrs, dealing with family drama etc. 🫢

 

[Lucymyers]

I'm local so it is on our local news as well as national news.

I never bought the story about a tiktok trend, tiktok made someone apologise for as it hasn't been proven it was anything to do with them.

There was a interview with the family the other day where they said they believe life starts from a heartbeat and he has a heartbeat so should be classed as alive. My response to that would be turn off the machines and see how long he lives then.

They have appealed the decision so he is still being ventilated at the moment while that goes through.

I think it is grossly unfair. They need to let the poor boy go

It was itv who apoligised.
Apparently hes attempted suicide before

I was going to start a post about this case. I have a lot of sympathy for the family but at this point they are thinking of their own best interests not that of the child they loved.
The Facebook group is made up of people who are ignorant, when people comment with anything factual, no matter how kindly they are attacked and the comment deleted
It’s feels awful to say but they are essentially appealing to have Archies dead and decaying body kept in hospital, cared for by staff who they are accusing of all sorts of disgusting things.

I absolutely agree re members of that group. I joined as i felt for the family especially mum. But as soon as u question anything they pounce on you trying to brain wash you with rubbish and then start harassing you over fb messanger

I read the court docs and realised the family are not giving out certain details to try and misled people i think.
Also mum changed her name due to her criminal record

Loves the limelight

 

[MrsBsDayOff]

It was itv who apoligised.
Apparently hes attempted suicide before


I absolutely agree re members of that group. I joined as i felt for the family especially mum. But as soon as u question anything they pounce on you trying to brain wash you with rubbish and then start harassing you over fb messanger

I read the court docs and realised the family are not giving out certain details to try and misled people i think.
Also mum changed her name due to her criminal record

Loves the limelight

Major red flags.

Had something bad been going on in poor Archie's life? I don't believe the Tiktok trend excuse.

 

[Lucymyers]

Major red flags.

Had something bad been going on in poor Archie's life? I don't believe the Tiktok trend excuse.

I dont know. I just find it horrendous how they are blamin drs an nurses for starving him when in reality hes got extreme so basically whatever they feed him he more out hence the extreme weight loss. Court docs were a saddening read

 

[JellyDonut]

Where do you read the court docs?

 

[Lucymyers]

Here this is the latest one

 

[Cack Conroe]

Major red flags.

Had something bad been going on in poor Archie's life? I don't believe the Tiktok trend excuse.

He had ADHD, apparently severe enough that they couldn’t find a school that would accept him for several years.

On Archie’s own Tiktok account, he described himself as always depressed.

The night before the hanging, he was seen doing a trial run using his sister’s doorframe.

It’s a possibility that he just had inherently poor mental health. (I hope the family eventually realise the true blame lies in the terrible lack of mental health and ADHD services in most of this country). ADHD in particular would have made Archie impulsive and have poor emotional regulation. I’m an adult with ADHD, non-sufferers don’t realise how hard it is to live with.

There has been a lot of internet sleuthing on the mum, it turns out she changed her name because she has two convictions, one for actual bodily harm, and one for common assault. Her real name is Lisa Pittaway.

She is a pole dancing teacher (and has worked in the “gentlemen’s club”), since getting involved with Christians she has scrubbed all such content from her social media.

Archie had an MMA fight coming up, maybe he felt pressured.

 

[glasgow27]

I feel like the insidious characters here are not the nurses or this poor boy's family but those Christian activists who IMO are taking advantage of this family's grief and vulnerability to further their cause. That disgusts me.

Reading between the lines, I feel like this was probably a suicide attempt. I imagine there would be more specific discussion on the TikTok challenge at hand if it were really the cause so that it wouldn't happen to others.

I'm not a parent so I can't really comment but I've always been a believer in not prolonging anyone's suffering and not keeping anyone alive for the sake of it. I don't feel that recovery is remotely likely here and since he's only being kept alive by mechanical means, I don't feel it is fair to him.

 

[JellyDonut]

i don’t believe this was a TikTok trend at all. I think he was probably feeling a bit down and then got really told off for putting the rabbit in the bag, and with his ADHD he maybe acted quite impulsively and did what he did. I am an adult with ADHD and I feel like this just makes a lot of sense. A person with ADHD’s brain is hardwired differently to a neuro typical person’s brain and has a lot of difficulty regulating emotion. Things like hormones etc. too probably don’t help.

 

[Lucymyers]

I feel like the insidious characters here are not the nurses or this poor boy's family but those Christian activists who IMO are taking advantage of this family's grief and vulnerability to further their cause. That disgusts me.

Reading between the lines, I feel like this was probably a suicide attempt. I imagine there would be more specific discussion on the TikTok challenge at hand if it were really the cause so that it wouldn't happen to others.

I'm not a parent so I can't really comment but I've always been a believer in not prolonging anyone's suffering and not keeping anyone alive for the sake of it. I don't feel that recovery is remotely likely here and since he's only being kept alive by mechanical means, I don't feel it is fair to him.

They turned christian and got christened when he was in hosp so they would fund the legal fees apparently

 

[Nlogax]

Archie Battersbee: how the court reached its conclusion in this tragic case

The high court has determined that young Archie Battersbee is legally dead.

theconversation.com

Good article on the legal situation here.

Thanks for this, excellent summary, very sad but sometimes we have to accept truth.

I think the mum just needs time to realise there no chance , my unborn baby had most of her brain missing, we was very nicely told thatit was me keeping her alive and once born she would pass away , dr said it would be kinder to me and baby to terminate. It took me weeks and many drs telling me to realise what was best. For a while I thought no they are wrong, I googled and never found a good outcome. The difference was I didn’t have do gooders in my head telling me the drs are wrong

That must have been so hard for you, hope you're ok now.