AFP
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NOS News•today, 17:41
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Doctors in Great Britain may stop treatment of brain-dead Archie Battersbee (12). That has been decided by a three-member court in an appeal case brought by the boy’s parents. Continued treatment of Archie would only postpone his death, the court ruled.
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It thus concurs with an earlier judgment, beginning of June. At that time, the judge also concluded that the boy, who has been in a hospital in London since the beginning of April with severe brain damage, may be removed from the ventilator. That brain damage is irreparable, concluded the doctors who treat him.
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European Court
The 12-year-old’s parents want him to continue to receive treatment as long as his heart is still beating. That is why they appealed. But the court did not agree with that again today.
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One of the judges called Archie’s situation “a tragedy of immeasurable dimensions” but also said the compelling medical evidence paints a bleak picture of Archie’s life chances, and that the judgment is in the child’s best interests.
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Archie’s case is causing a stir in the UK, where news of the court verdict was released earlier today:
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The termination of Archie’s treatment is not immediate, but has been postponed by 48 hours, so that the parents still have a chance to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
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Tiktok challenge
Archie was found unconscious at his home in Southend, England, in early April. He has not regained consciousness since then.
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His mother thinks the boy participated in a challenge on Tiktok: the blackout challenge, where users of the platform are encouraged to hold their breath until they pass out. When Archie was found, he had something around his neck.
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