In a high-profile case regarding life-support treatment, a doctor has informed a High Court judge that a seven-month-old baby at the centre of the case is “dying” and keeping her on a ventilator would only serve to “prolong matters”.
The baby, Indi Gregory, is being treated for mitochondrial disease, a genetic condition that drains energy from the body’s cells. Medical professionals at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham have stated that they have done their utmost for Indi and are deeply saddened by the situation.
Hospital authorities have sought legal permission from Mr. Justice Peel to allow doctors to lawfully limit the treatment being provided to Indi. On the other hand, Indi’s parents, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, both in their thirties and from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, wish for the treatment to continue.
The case is currently being heard in the Family Division of the High Court in London, with Mr. Justice Peel considering the evidence presented. The doctor, who cannot be named in media reports, expressed their sadness to the judge, saying, “She is a little girl we have tried to treat to the best of our abilities. The terrible reality is that she is dying.” The doctor further explained that continuing ventilation would only serve to prolong the inevitable.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, responsible for Indi’s care, has asked the judge to make decisions in the case. Barrister Emma Sutton KC, leading the legal team for the trust, described Indi as “critically” ill.
The family of Indi maintains that she is a “fighter” who “deserves a chance at life”. Mr. Justice Peel has allowed journalists to attend the hearing and permitted the naming of Indi, her parents, and the hospital in media reports. However, the judge has ruled that the medical professionals treating Indi, as well as a guardian appointed to represent her interests, cannot be named. The trial continues behind closed doors as the judge weighs the evidence presented.
