Terminally ill British baby dies in hospice
At the weekend, eight-month-old Indi Gregory is transferred to a hospice and all life-support measures are withdrawn. Now the girl dies. Her parents had fought in vain for months in court to have her treatment continued.
After months of unsuccessfully fighting in British courts for the continuation of life-sustaining treatment for their terminally ill baby, the eight-month-old girl has died. Indi Gregory died early this morning, her parents Claire Staniforth and Dean Gregory announced via the evangelical movement Christian Concern.
Indi Gregory had been transferred from hospital in the English city of Nottingham to a hospice at the weekend and all measures to keep her alive had been terminated. The baby suffered from a severe and incurable mitochondrial disease, a genetic defect in the mitochondria that prevents the production of energy in the body's cells. According to the doctors, her further treatment would have been futile and painful. Indi's parents had fought against the doctors' decision for months.
Italy's head of government Meloni stood up for the baby
Initially, they wanted to have the baby transferred to the Vatican hospital Bambino Gesù in Rome for treatment and received the last-minute support of the Italian head of government, Giorgia Meloni, who granted the baby Italian citizenship. However, a British court finally rejected the application last Wednesday. On Friday, the second-highest court of appeal then rejected the parents' application to have Indi's life-sustaining measures at home discontinued. It thus confirmed the assessment of lower courts that discontinuing care outside a medical facility was "too dangerous".
In a statement, Indi's father Gregory accused the British health service and the courts of depriving his daughter not only of the opportunity to live longer, but also of being able to die "with dignity" at home with her family. "Bon voyage, little Indi," wrote Meloni on the online service X (formerly Twitter): "We did everything we could, everything that was possible. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough."
Despite the Italian head of government Giorgia Meloni granting eight-month-old Indi Gregory Italian citizenship and offering treatment at the Vatican hospital Bambino Gesù, the British courts ultimately denied the application. Indi, suffering from a severe mitochondrial disease, was moved to a London hospice over the weekend, where all life-support measures were withdrawn. Sadly, the deaths of Indi Gregory and other children with similar illnesses in Great Britain have sparked international concern and debate.
Source: www.ntv.de
