November 10th 2023.
Indi Gregory was born on February 24th with mitochondrial disease – a genetic condition that affects energy levels. Her parents, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, are in their 30s and live in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.
The couple had proposed that Indi receive end-of-life care at home, however, specialists at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham argued that treatment should be withdrawn in a hospice or hospital setting.
Mr Justice Peel, a judge based in London, heard arguments relating to Indi’s end-of-life care at a private online hearing in the Family Division of the High Court and ultimately concluded that withdrawing treatment at home would be ‘too dangerous’.
Indi’s parents have since mounted an appeal and three Court of Appeal judges are due to consider arguments on Friday. Lady Justice King, Lord Justice Moylan and Lord Justice Peter Jackson, based in London, are listed to oversee an online hearing.
The couple have also failed in a bid to transfer Indi to a hospital in Rome, as Mr Justice Peel ruled that a move to Italy would not be in Indi’s best interests, and Court of Appeal judges backed that decision. Furthermore, they have challenged the ruling in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, but were unsuccessful.
The Italian government recently intervened in Indi’s case by granting her Italian citizenship, however, Mr Justice Peel said that his ‘decisions and orders’ were 'unaffected by this development'.
Judges have heard that Indi is dying and that the treatment she receives causes pain and is futile. Her parents disagree and are attempting to keep providing life-support treatment.
Mr Justice Peel has allowed journalists to attend and says Indi can be identified in reports. Yet, he has concluded that limiting treatment would be in Indi’s best interests.
This difficult situation has put Indi’s parents in an almost impossible position and all the while they are faced with the difficult task of saying goodbye to their beloved daughter. All they can do now is wait for the Court of Appeal's ruling on Friday.
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