Archie Battersbee's mother says she's 'the proudest mum in the world' after son's life support is switched off

Archie Battersbee's mother says she is the 'proudest mum in the world'.

The 12-year-old's life support was turned off today (6 August), with the young boy dying at 12.15pm, surrounded by his family.

Speaking outside Royal London Hospital, Hollie Dance said she was devastated but was incredibly proud of the bravery Archie showed.

She told the assembled media: "Archie passed at 12.15pm today. And can I just say I am the proudest mum in the world - such a beautiful little boy, and he fought right until the very end, and I am so proud to be his mum."

BREAKING: Archie Battersbee's family say he has died after his life support was withdrawn.https://t.co/zyKQH0zBGg

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Ella Rose Carter, the fiancée of Archie's eldest brother Tom, said no child should ever have to go through what Archie did.

She said: "He was taken off medication at 10am, his stats remained stable until two hours later when they removed the ventilation.

"There is absolutely nothing dignified about watching a family member or a child suffocate.

"We hope no family has to go through what we have been through. It's barbaric."

Archie had been in a comatose state since being found unconscious at home in Southend, Essex, in April.

After a High Court judge ruled ending treatment would be in Archie's best interests, the young boy's mother, Ms Dance, took urgent measures to try and to keep her son alive.

However, despite numerous appeals, she lost her fight, and it was ruled that Archie's life support should be removed.

Mr Justice Hayden, of the High Court, determined that what happened to Archie was a 'tragedy of immeasurable dimensions', but said it was in his best interest for treatment to be stopped.

He said: "There is unfortunately no treatment possible to reverse the damage that has been caused to Archie’s brain.

"There can be no hope at all of recovery."

And on Wednesday (3 April), Ms Dance conceded it was 'the end' after the European Court of Human Rights decided not to intervene in the decision to withdraw life-support treatment.

Two days later, the family also lost a last-ditch High Court bid to have Archie transferred to a hospice before his life-sustaining treatment would be withdrawn.

Ms Dance had said she wanted her son to 'spend his last moments' together with family privately, complaining of a lack of privacy at the hospital.

But in a ruling on the morning of Friday (5 August), Mrs Justice Theis concluded it was not in Archie’s best interests to be moved.