Parents of critically ill baby to return to court in life-support fight
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The parents of a critically ill baby are to return to court for another round in a life-support treatment fight.
A judge is scheduled to reconsider issues relating to eight-month-old Indi Gregory at a private hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London on Tuesday.
The hearing has been listed before Mr Justice Peel after a campaign group supporting Indi’s family said an Italian hospital had offered to treat the little girl.
Indi’s parents, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth – who are both in their 30s and from Ilkeston, Derbyshire – have lost fights in the High Court and Court of Appeal in London.
They have also failed to persuade judges at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France, to consider Indi’s case.
Judges have heard that Indi, who was born on February 24, has mitochondrial disease, a genetic condition that saps energy.
Specialists say Indi is dying and hospital bosses at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, where she is being cared for, asked him to rule that doctors could lawfully limit treatment.
Medics say the treatment Indi receives causes pain and is futile.
Her parents disagree and want treatment to continue.
Mr Justice Peel had ruled, after a recent trial, that doctors could lawfully limit treatment – appeal judges in London and ECHR judges in France refused to overturn that decision.
Indi’s parents expect medics to begin withdrawing treatment soon.
A spokesman for the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Indi’s parents, said on Monday that there had been a “dramatic development”.
“A leading paediatric hospital in Italy has offered specialist treatment,” he said.
“Fully funded by the Italian government, the Bambino Gesu Paediatric Hospital in Rome has agreed to accept Indi for treatment.”
We have been given a real chance by the Bambino Gesu Paediatric Hospital for Indi to get the care she needs and to have a longer life
He said Mr Gregory had received a letter from the hospital president.
“We have been given a real chance by the Bambino Gesu Paediatric Hospital for Indi to get the care she needs and to have a longer life,” said Mr Gregory, in a statement released through the Christian Legal Centre.
“We are amazed and truly grateful to the hospital and the Italian government, which has restored our faith in humanity.
“We are now begging doctors at the Queen’s Medical Centre and the lawyers representing the (hospital) trust to work with Indi and us to secure her transfer to Rome.”
