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Archie Battersbee

(453 Posts)
Georgesgran Mon 01-Aug-22 21:32:28

Not really a discussion but what a tragic situation all round. His parents must be broken having tried all avenues to keep him on life support. The medical opinion is that he’s brain cell dead and continuing his life support isn’t in his best interests.
It’s just heartbreaking.

sf101 Sun 07-Aug-22 16:53:14

I agree with Baggs and Casdon, she has to carry on blaming everyone else as looking at herself and the lead up to Archie hanging himself are just too painful and the guilt must be overwhelming.
My respect goes to the medical and nursing staff who have had to put up with all this whilst doing a highly skilled job in very difficult circumstances.
I have read the judgement and it is very clear that all the allegations were examined and dismissed, and the Judge sounded extremely patient and fair.

Casdon Sun 07-Aug-22 16:51:55

Honeysuckleberries

Has anyone an explanation as to why anyone who is brain stem dead is put on life support machines? Perhaps all this could have been avoided if this poor little lad hadn’t been put on life support to start with. I am certainly not criticising anyone for decisions made but just wondered if anyone might know.

The person is already on life support before it’s confirmed that they are brain stem dead Honeysuckleberries. If when found the person still has a heartbeat everything possible is done to save their life. Brain death is confirmed or not after extensive tests carried out once on ITU.

Honeysuckleberries Sun 07-Aug-22 16:48:43

Has anyone an explanation as to why anyone who is brain stem dead is put on life support machines? Perhaps all this could have been avoided if this poor little lad hadn’t been put on life support to start with. I am certainly not criticising anyone for decisions made but just wondered if anyone might know.

wildswan16 Sun 07-Aug-22 16:16:34

Of course it is anniebach as many of us know.

MissAdventure Sun 07-Aug-22 16:07:33

Isn't it just.

Anniebach Sun 07-Aug-22 16:02:48

Wildswan ‘sadly children sometimes die’, it’s far more than
sad when it’s your child.

MissAdventure Sun 07-Aug-22 15:37:51

Anger is an accepted part of grieving, listed as one of the stages.

JaneJudge Sun 07-Aug-22 15:34:44

Ime wrt grief, there are two different types of people.
#The first type think it is all their fault
The second type think it is allthe fault of someone else

Casdon Sun 07-Aug-22 15:22:18

Baggs

I wonder if the poor woman feels guilt and that's what it's all about. I'm sure I'd be tearing myself to shreds if I'd found a child of mine in the circumstances described.

I think that’s the root of her issues Baggs. We all feel guilty when someone close to us dies, my husband died of cancer and I spent months thinking about the ‘what ifs’, and ‘I should haves’. She must be torturing herself I imagine. The problem is though that fighting the system won’t help her because her guilt can’t be assuaged by fighting, only by her acceptance of what’s happened.

Baggs Sun 07-Aug-22 15:14:10

I wonder if the poor woman feels guilt and that's what it's all about. I'm sure I'd be tearing myself to shreds if I'd found a child of mine in the circumstances described.

Joane123 Sun 07-Aug-22 15:12:58

Just read this on the news feed. I am so sad to hear this. She needs time to find some peace, somehow. I feel so sorry.

Chestnut Sun 07-Aug-22 14:59:49

I agree she is out of her mind with grief, and has been for some time. Because of her tragic situation everyone has been bending over backwards to accommodate her, and I think the media attention has sent her into mental cyberspace. She wants to keep the publicity ball rolling because without it she will have to go home, live in her quiet house without her son and probably have a breakdown. It's tragic but someone needs to guide her in the right direction.

I have felt all along she has been overwhelmed by her own suffering. Her actions have not been in the child's best interest, they have revolved around her own grief and inability to accept he had died.

M0nica Sun 07-Aug-22 14:55:29

Asking for an enquiry doesn't mean that she will get one. We have heard similar calls from other parents in her situation and these have not been taken up.

As annsixty says, she is a troubled woman, and while i have been trying to ignore all the stories about her floating around. It is becoming clear that she and possibly her son have/had a troubled background and I think and hope there will be an inquest into his death that untangles how his accident happened and whether there were any contrubutory factors.

Inevitably this will require medical reports on his treatment and these will show quite clearly that the extent of his brain damage was too extensive to recover from.

Nobody will ever change her mind, and her conviction that her son was 'executed'.

MissAdventure Sun 07-Aug-22 14:44:28

I have read that the medics would welcome an enquiry, rather than baseless allegations.
I know I would, if someone had gone to the press saying that i hadn't carried out my job properly.

GrannyGravy13 Sun 07-Aug-22 14:42:57

The woman is literally out of her mind with grief unfortunately she is being led by a far right Christian Group who seem to be anything but christian

I hope that a family member of close friend can help help her in the coming days/weeks/months, an empathetic GP is needed PDQ.

annsixty Sun 07-Aug-22 14:32:48

What is the enquiry into?
Who or what does she cite is responsible for her son’s death?

Will she never be happy unless or until someone is name as being the person who “killed “ her son?

What would she then want to happen in the entirely fictional case of this happening?

A very troubled woman.

Rosina Sun 07-Aug-22 14:22:13

I have just heard on the radio that Archie's mother is insisting upon an enquiry. This means the emotional crisis will go on and on - and not just for Archie's family but for the staff who have cared for him day after day, and will now presumably have to endure questioning and media coverage. It is unfair, and should not be happening.

maddyone Sun 07-Aug-22 13:52:28

State sponsored murder
That is a terrible allegation and makes me feel less sympathetic towards Archie’s mother, which is terrible in its self because a bereaved parent deserves all the sympathy in the world. My daughter is a doctor and so I feel tremendous sympathy for the medics who looked after Archie and who must be exhausted with the way it keeps going on. I hope there isn’t an investigation into these events, the medics and indeed the family have lived through enough stress and need closure and peace.

wildswan16 Sun 07-Aug-22 13:46:19

I really am getting quite cross with Archie's mother now. I know she is grieving, emotional, and probably a dozen other emotions all at once. But the language being used by her and probably being fed to her by those with their own agenda, is cruel to the consultant paediatricians and countless other medical staff.

Archie died many months ago - she didn't want to hear what was explained to her, and spent futile time in court rather than peacefully with her son.

Sadly children sometimes die, when they are brain stem dead there is no recovery. Peace to Archie and healing to his family

Iam64 Sun 07-Aug-22 13:35:15

I haven’t read the Judgements or looked at the Facebook pages.

Something I haven’t seen mentioned is that Archie will have had his own independent legal team. In this kind of situation, he may have been represented by the Official Solicitor, or by a very experienced Children’s Guardian. Archie’s representatives will have read all the information before the Judge, also interviewed his parents and visited the hospital.

The system may not be perfect but the allegation by his mother, that this was state sponsored murder is unlikely to help anyone

Nickysmadhouse Sun 07-Aug-22 13:11:38

* Few days after a bereavement is to be with and care for eachother?

Nickysmadhouse Sun 07-Aug-22 13:10:20

Oh my gosh, and investigation? Jesus wept.
I would have thought that in the first few days after a bereavement and then arranging a fitting funeral… not another futile campaign.

Those poor poor hospital staff ?

JaneJudge Sun 07-Aug-22 13:01:06

Unfortunately I imagine she wont get any help. The state of mental health services (even for children) in this country is an absolute joke sad if only it was funny

Septimia Sun 07-Aug-22 12:54:20

The whole thing is a tragedy.

While I feel desperately sorry for Archie's family, they now want an investigation into why their rights were ignored and why they were treated so badly.

So I now feel more sorry for the medical staff who worked so hard to care for both Archie and his family and are now being treated like the villains.

Anniebach Sun 07-Aug-22 12:49:42

The family want an investigation and enquiry