An 8-month-old terminally ill British girl named Indi Gregory has been granted Italian citizenship after a court in Britain upheld rulings allowing the withdrawal of life-supporting invasive treatment. This case is part of a larger issue in Britain where doctors and parents often disagree on the treatment of terminally ill children.
Indi Gregory’s family hopes that the decision by the Italian government will help in their fight to transfer her to Italy. A private online hearing is scheduled for Tuesday where a British judge will consider matters related to the baby’s care. Last week, the judge ruled against moving the baby to Italy.
The Vatican’s pediatric hospital, Bambino Gesu, in Rome has offered to care for Indi Gregory, and the Italian government has promised to cover any necessary treatment in Italy. Italy’s Cabinet held a brief meeting on Monday, solely to grant citizenship to the child, citing “preeminent humanitarian values.”
Premier Giorgia Meloni expressed her support for the child and her parents, saying, “They say there isn’t much hope for little Indi, but until the very end, I’ll do what I can to defend her life. And to defend the right of her mamma and papa to do all that they can for her.”
In such cases under British law, the primary concern is whether the proposed treatment is in the best interests of the child. Despite the parents’ wishes, judges have consistently upheld doctors’ decisions to end life support.
Indi Gregory suffers from a rare metabolic disorder called mitochondrial disease, which prevents her cells from producing enough energy to function properly. This fatal disease has caused progressive brain damage, leaving her completely reliant on life support.
Christian Concern, a campaign group supporting the parents, stated that during Tuesday’s online hearing, Justice Robert Peel would consider whether doctors could withdraw life-support treatment.
Last Thursday, Peel rejected an appeal from Indi’s father to transfer her to the Vatican’s pediatric hospital for further treatment. The judge’s decision was based on the fact that Indi had little awareness of her surroundings and had an “extremely limited quality of life.” Moreover, evidence showed that she experienced frequent pain due to her treatment.
Although the Vatican hospital’s letter lacked specific details about the proposed treatment for Indi, the judge believed it would involve further invasive procedures and that there was no evidence that experimental treatments would improve her quality of life. Peel also raised concerns that transferring Indi to Rome might increase her distress and suffering.
“I am satisfied that the proposal for a transfer to Rome would not be in IG’s best interests,” Peel stated in his decision.
