Time running out for Archie Battersbee as his parents make legal bid to move him to hospice

Time is running out for Archie Battersbee, a 12-year-old boy in the United Kingdom, who suffered catastrophic brain damage and is currently on life-support treatment.

In the latest development, Archie's parents are bidding to have their son moved to a hospice. They said that they should be allowed to choose where he spends "his last moments".

As per the reports, the hospital gave Archie'sparents until 9am (local time) on Thursday to launch a High Court bid to move him to a hospice. In case not done, Archie's life support will be turned off at 11am (local time).

What is hospice care?

The services related to hospice care are for those who are nearing the end of life and they are provided by a team of health care professionals. They try to provide maximum comfort for a person who is terminally ill. In hospice care, health care providers attempt to reduce pain and address physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs.

Archie Battersbee's case

Archie got seriously injured at his home in Southend, Essex on April 7, 2022. It is assumed that the ligature could have been his participation in an online asphyxiation challenge after he was found unconscious with a ligature over his head.

He received medical treatment at the Royal London Hospital. Since the accident, he is in a comatose state and has not regained consciousness.

His treatment has been at the centre of a legal battle. Earlier, the High Court ruled that life support treatment for Archie should be stopped.

Recently, the European Court of Human Rights rejected the last last-ditch application by Archie's parents to postpone ending his life support.

Doctors say that the continued life support treatment is not in Archie's best interests of Archie. They said that he is 'brain-stem dead'.

As quoted by media outlet Metro UK, Archie's parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, confirmed that they filed an application to transfer him out of the Royal London Hospital.

Archie's mother Hollie said she felt "absolutely deflated". She told Times Radio this morning that said they have not been able to have privacy at the hospital.

As quoted by the website, she said, "We can't even have the chance to be in a room together as a family without nurses. There is absolutely no privacy, which is why, again, the courts keep going on about this dignified death – why aren't we allowed to take our child to a hospice and spend his last moments, his last days, together privately?" She added, "Why is the hospital obstructing it? It’s going be awful today."

"I woke up absolutely sick to my stomach. Like I just feel this hospital have so much to answer for and I don't really know what else to say today," she said.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE