In a tragic turn of events, the parents of eight-month-old Indi Gregory have lost their battle at the High Court for their daughter to receive end-of-life care at home. Indi, diagnosed with mitochondrial disease, has been at the centre of a life-support treatment legal battle that unfolded in the Family Division of the High Court.
Indi’s parents, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, had fervently sought to have specialists withdraw treatment from their critically ill daughter at their home in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. However, specialists at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham argued for treatment withdrawal in a hospice or hospital setting.
On Wednesday, Judge Mr Justice Peel ruled against Indi’s parents, expressing that withdrawing treatment at home would be “too dangerous” and go against Indi’s best interests. He emphasised the necessity for clinical treatment of the highest quality in a safe and sustainable setting, deeming it unavailable at home.
Despite their persistent efforts, Indi’s parents failed to overturn the decision regarding treatment limitation. The Court of Appeal judges and judges at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, upheld the original treatment decision, denying the parents’ plea for a transfer to a hospital in Rome.
Despite the Italian government granting Indi Italian citizenship and intervening in her case, a move to a hospital in Rome was deemed not in Indi’s best interests by Mr Justice Peel. The parents, supported by the campaign group Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre, faced repeated setbacks in their legal battles.
The medical professionals caring for Indi maintain that her treatment causes pain and is futile, while her parents disagree. The court’s decision reflects the complexity and sensitivity surrounding end-of-life care, leaving Indi’s parents to grapple with the heartbreaking reality of their daughter’s situation.
