A terminally ill British child has been given a temporary reprieve after a court delayed the switching off of her life support.
Italian consul in Manchester Matteo Corradini presented an urgent request to the High Court of the United Kingdom on Thursday, delaying a previous court ruling that would have taken seriously ill 8-month-old girl Indi Gregory, who suffers from a rare incurable mitochondrial illness, off life support.
The emergency intervention came as part of an ongoing court battle by the parents of Indi, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, following an October ruling by a British judge, allowing medical personnel at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) to take the young child off life support. Doctors claim she cannot be treated.
According to a report from the Italian newspaper Ottopagine, the Italian consul’s actions mean that the case will be heard on Friday, extending the time during which Indi is on life support. She was originally supposed to have been taken off life support on Thursday at 2 pm UK time.
Dean Gregory, the young girl’s father, stated that the British High Court will make a ruling on Friday, November 10th, regarding the case.
Christian Concern, an advocacy group linked to the case, released a statement following the Italian consul’s challenge, stating:
Indi Gregory’s Italian guardian has made an urgent application to the UK High Court calling on Mr Justice Robert Peel to cede jurisdiction of the case to him under Article 9§2 of the 1996 Hague Convention.
Such a development has never happened before in an end-of-life case involving a child in the UK.
This morning, the Italian consul in Manchester, Dr Matteo Corradini, in his capacity as guardianship judge for the 8-month-old, made the application under the Article 9§2 of the 1996 Hague Convention. Convention Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children.
These orders are effective immediately due to the imminent danger to the life of Indi, with doctors prepared to remove her life-support today at 2pm, subject to an appeal over the location of the withdrawal. Dr Corradini will now await a response from Mr Justice Peel.
Mr Justice Peel has made the two previous High Court judgments which blocked Indi’s transfer to Italy for specialist treatment and ruled that it is in her ‘best interests’ to die.
The Italian government has been involved in Indi’s case since the country granted the child Italian citizenship so that she may travel to Italy and be treated at the Vatican-run Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome which has stated a willingness to treat the child.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni personally intervened on the issue on Monday when her cabinet met and granted the child Italian citizenship
“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,” Meloni said, adding, “And to defend the right of her mamma and papa to do all that they can for her.”
Dean Gregory stated earlier this week, “My heart fills up with joy that the Italians have given Claire and I hope and faith back in humanity,” adding, “The Italians have shown us care and loving support and I wish the UK authorities were the same. I’m very proud to say Indi has Italian citizenship and I thank the Italian government and the Italian people from the bottom of my heart.”
Grazia Di Maggio, an Italian MP and member of Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party (FdI), commented on the case saying, “By granting citizenship to the little girl, the cabinet wanted to at least give her a chance and to give hope to her parents. So welcome to Italy, Indi, we are rooting for you.”
The Italian government has also offered to pay all of the medical expenses for Indi and perform a stent procedure in an effort to save her life.
The case is just the latest in the UK involving a small child on life support, such as the 2017 case of Charlie Gard, a child who was on life support after being diagnosed with mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome.
Charlie’s parents launched a campaign to help the 11-month-old and also took their case to the High Court after doctors stated their wish to take Charlie off life support.
The case drew worldwide attention and Charlie’s parents also attempted to take their child abroad to the United States for treatment but were unable as Charlie’s health deteriorated.
Charlie died in July 2017, with even world leaders expressing their condolences, including Pope Francis stating, “I entrust little Charlie to the Father and pray for his parents and all those who loved him.”
