As requested in an appeal by his parents, the suspension of treatment for Archie Battersbee, the boy who has been in a coma since April 7 after what is presumed to be a domestic accident that occurred at his home in Southend, Essex, UK, has been halted, at least for now.
A first ruling on the case was issued by the British High Court on June 13, and it was a death sentence: suspension of ventilation and all treatment, since, as decreed by Judge Emma Arbuthnot, Archie would “[…] die at noon on May 31, based on the magnetic resonance imaging scan taken that day.”
But Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, the boy’s parents, supported in the ongoing legal battle by the Christian Legal Center, appealed and won, if not yet the war, at least this battle. Namely, the Court of Appeal ruled that the evidence should be reconsidered by another judge, in the family division of the High Court in London.
The joy and relief of the parents is palpable. Hollie, the mother, stated, “We are happy. We wanted another hearing, and we got everything we asked for.”
The hearing is scheduled for July 11, presided over by Judge Anthony Hayden.