Did not allow her to die at home
Despite the efforts of the Italian government, the Vatican, and the prayers of people around the world, legal authorities in Great Britain were unable to grant the request of little Indi Gregory to die at home. Born on February 24, Indi had a rare metabolic disorder known as mitochondrial disease.
Reporting for The Guardian, Josh Halliday wrote
Christian Concern, a campaigning group acting for the parents, said on Monday the judges had “denied Indi’s parents their final wish” by ordering that her life support could not be removed at home. It said the baby girl was taken from the Queen’s Medical Centre to a hospice with a security escort and a police presence, then was provided with “invasive ventilation” after her life support was removed. She died at 1.45am on Monday, the group said.
On Friday, three appeal court judges concurred with the trial judge’s ruling that life support treatment could not be withdrawn at the family home but only in a hospital or hospice. In a written ruling, Justice Robert Peel stated that he accepted the evidence of medical specialists at the Queen’s Medical Center in Nottingham, arguing that treatment for Indi should be withdrawn in a hospice or hospital.
The parents of the infant, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, sought to retain the services of medical professionals to continue treatment, but their appeals were unsuccessful in both the High Court and the Court of Appeal in London. On Monday, Gregory stated that the infant had died in her mother’s arms shortly before 2 a.m. The removal of life support had occurred hours earlier at a hospice.
He said they were both “heartbroken and ashamed” and added: “The NHS and the courts not only took away her chance to live a longer life, but they also took away Indi’s dignity to pass away in the family home where she belonged.
“They did succeed in taking Indi’s body and dignity, but they can never take her soul. They tried to get rid of Indi without anybody knowing, but we made sure she would be remembered forever. I knew she was special from the day she was born.”
In a highly unusual turn of events, the Italian government requested permission for the infant to be treated at Bambino Gesu Children’s Hospital in Rome. Italian officials even granted citizenship to the infant amidst the ongoing legal battle over her healthcare. However, Justice Peel, the presiding judge in the case, was not swayed by the offers from the Italian government this week to airlift Indi to the Vatican hospital and pay for any treatment in Italy. Additionally, the Italian government has granted Indi citizenship, which will facilitate her transport and treatment.
On Monday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that she would “do what I can to defend Indi’s life” and “defend the right of her parents to do all that they can for her.”
Judge Peel rejected the proposal, stating that a relocation to Italy would not be in Indi’s best interest and that the involvement of Italian consular officials was misguided. In response, Dean Gregory condemned the actions of doctors and British courts for disregarding the offer from Italy’s government.
“As a father, I have never sought or implored for assistance, yet I am now imploring the British government to take action to prevent the termination of my daughter’s life,” he stated in a statement released through Christian Concern.
In a statement released by the Vatican on Saturday, Pope Francis expressed his prayers for the family of Indi Gregory. He stated that he “embraces the family of little Indi Gregory, her father and mother, prays for them and for her, and turns his thoughts to all the children around the world in these same hours who are living in pain or risking their lives because of disease and war.” Halliday wrote that Indi’s case is the latest high-profile end-of-life hearing to reach the Royal Courts of Justice. This follows similarly fraught battles over the treatment of children, including Archie Battersbee, Charlie Gard, Alfie Evans, Isaiah Haastrup, Tafida Raqeeb, and Alta Fixsler, as reported by The Guardian.
Chelsea Garcia is a political writer with a special interest in international relations and social issues. Events surrounding the war in Ukraine and the war in Israel are a major focus for political journalists. But as a former local reporter, she is also interested in national politics.
Chelsea Garcia studied media, communication and political science in Texas, USA, and learned the journalistic trade during an internship at a daily newspaper. In addition to her political writing, she is pursuing a master's degree in multimedia and writing at Texas.
