'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It seems that the "Blackout Challenge" has claimed yet another young life. Archie Battersbee has died four months after taking on the challenge in April of this year. The 12-year-old was found unconscious in his mother's bedroom and was rushed to the hospital at the time.
Medical professionals put him on life support, but that didn't help his recovery. The child was found to be brain-dead in an MRI scan taken in May, which resulted in the court ruling in favor of "withdrawal of Archie’s life support."
Archie Battersbee's family says that they "fought until the end"
Archie Battersbee was admitted to the Royal London Hospital, where he was kept on life support in April. His parents were fighting the court's decision to withdraw life support since May.
His mother, Hollie Dance, told the press:
“In sadness, Archie passed at 12.15 pm today (August 6). I would just like to say I am the proudest mum in the world. He was such a beautiful little boy. He fought right until the very end and I am so proud to be his mum.”
A relative, Ella Carter, shared details of the child's death, saying that Archie was stable until the medical staff "removed ventilation and he went completely blue."
She added:
“There is absolutely nothing dignified about watching a family member or a child suffocate. No family should ever have to go through what we have been through – it is barbaric.”
In the last few days, Archie's family appealed to the High Court to transfer Archie to a hospice for his impending death. However, the court rejected the plea and decided that the child must remain at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, East London.
The medical professional clarified in a news article that it was "futile" to keep treating the child and that there were other options to help him.
Alistair Chesser, the chief medical officer for Barts Health NHS Trust, the organization aiding Archie Battersbee's family after his tragic accident, told the media that the child "passed away on Saturday afternoon."
He added:
"Members of his family were present at the bedside and our thoughts and heartfelt condolences remain with them at this difficult time."
He thanked the medical staff of the Royal London Hospital, sharing that the organization "provided high-quality care with extraordinary compassion over several months in often trying and distressing circumstances."
He further said that Archie's accident had touched the hearts of many.
"This tragic case not only affected the family and his carers but touched the hearts of many across the country.”
Archie Battersbee allegedly took part in an infamous TikTok challenge called the "blackout challenge"
Archie suffered a catastrophic brain injury on April 7, 2022, and his family found him unconscious in the house. His mother believes that he took part in TikTok's "blackout challenge," which has claimed multiple lives worldwide.
The deadly challenge requires contestants to hold their breath until they are on the verge of passing out. 8-year-old Lalani Erika Renee Walton from Temple, Texas, and 9-year-old Arriani Jaileen Arroyo from Milwaukee lost their lives to the challenge last year. Their parents have sued TikTok for promoting and featuring such a dangerous challenge on their platform.
