Archie will be euthanized on Saturday morning, his family said on Friday, after losing their latest bid to move the 12-year-old into a hospice. A spokesman for the family said the hospital informed them it would withdraw life support at 10am on Saturday. However, Barts Health NHS Trust said its position remains the same as there will be no changes to Archie’s care “until the outstanding legal issues are resolved”. In an interview with Sky News, recorded on Friday, Archie’s mother Hollie Dance, from Southend, Essex, said she was “pretty devastated” and that the day had been “absolutely awful”. Elaborating, he said: “In the last few weeks since April 7, I don’t think there’s been a day that hasn’t been really awful.” Ms Dance added: “It’s been really hard. Despite putting on a tough strong face and obviously appearing in front of the cameras so far, I’ve been pretty broken.”
Well-wishers gather outside the hospital
Outside the Royal London Hospital, where the 12-year-old has been hospitalized for more than 100 days – flowers were laid and candles lit. Kerry Walton, a hairdresser from Archie’s home town of Southend, laid a bouquet at the feet of the statue of Queen Alexandra, one of the hospital’s most famous benefactors. “I have two children, aged seven and two, and I can’t imagine how Archie’s parents must be feeling,” said Ms Walton, 36. “As a mother I can appreciate what Archie’s mum was trying to do – get more time for her son. If it were me, I’d try to get home from anywhere – even a momentary ray.”
