The funeral of late Archie Battersbee took place today as family and friends gathered in Essex following a life-support battle.
The 12-year-old boy died in August following a legal battle over his life support.
Archie was found unconscious at his home on April 7.
Reports claim Archie was found with a ligature over his head.
And his mother believes he may have been attempting to take part in an online challenge.
Archie Battersbee funeral
Archie’s silver coffin was carried by pallbearers for the noon service today (Tuesday September 13) at St Mary’s Church in Prittlewell, Southend.
Mourners were asked to wear purple ribbons or ties to remember Archie.
His mother Hollie Dance said ahead of the funeral the service would be a celebration of his life.
And during the funeral she reportedly emotionally told the congregation: “He was the best little boy, ever, he was just perfect. A perfect little man.”
Archie always had a smile on his face.
A representative of Southend Gymnastics Club, which Archie attended, recalled he “always had a smile on his face”.
Furthermore a video of Archie singing was played to his mourners.
Hip hop, Mariah Carey and Amazing Grace also featured during the service.
Additionally, reports claim there were not enough orders of service to go round due to the number of attendees.
Archie’s coffin was later taken by a horse-drawn carriage laden with flowers for burial.
Legal fight
Archie didn’t regain consciousness after he was discovered by his mother.
He suffered severe brain injuries and needed life-sustaining support, including mechanical ventilation and drug treatment.
His father Paul Battersbee and his mother went on to lose a series of legal hearings concerning Archie’s care.
Doctors said it was in Archie’s best interests for life support to be withdrawn as he was said to be ‘brain-stem dead’. Additionally, medics explained Archie’s organs had entered necrosis.
And this decision was supported by various courts over a number of months.
A High Court judge had initially ruled that doctors could stop providing life-support treatment. Mrs Justice Arbuthnot concluded that Archie was dead.
But Court of Appeal judges upheld a challenge from Archie’s parents against Mrs Justice Arbuthnot’s ruling.
Evidence was then reviewed by a different High Court judge.
That lead to Mr Justice Hayden ruling, after a further hearing, that ending treatment would be in Archie’s best interests.
Bids to overturn Mr Justice Hayden’s ruling failed and treatment was eventually withdrawn in August.
Provisional cause of death
A coroner said a provisional cause of death was identified as catastrophic hypoxic-ischemic brain injury secondary to strangulation.
Paul Donaghy said paramedics confirmed a cardiac arrest as they attended Archie. CPR was continued and Archie went to Southend Hospital before being transferred to the Royal London Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Both were in agreement that surgical intervention would not help Archie. Archie was also reviewed by the Paediatric Neurology team and second opinions were also provided by “multiple” medical professionals who agreed that Archie had suffered severe irreversible brain injury.
A full inquest will take place in 2023.
Read more: Archie Battersbee’s provisional cause of death revealed by coroner
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