The family of an eight-month-old baby with mitochondrial disease is fighting a ruling to withdraw life support. Medics had been advised to withdraw support for Indi Gregory, who is receiving round-the-clock care at Nottingham’s Queen Medical Centre (QMC). Mitochondrial disease prevents cells in the body from producing energy, causing Indi to experience round-the-clock pain. The condition is incurable. According to the NHS, cases such as this are difficult for everyone involved. The medical director of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Dr Keith Girling, said the priority remains providing the best possible care for Indi and to support her parents through this process.
Lawyers representing the parents of Indi Gregory, who are from Ilkeston in Derbyshire, are considering their next move after judges dismissed an appeal against a ruling that said Indi could not be transferred to a hospital in Italy for treatment. On Sunday, supporters held a demonstration against the ruling outside the clinic where Indi is being treated. Indi’s grandmother Nicola Thomas also spoke out at the protest, affirming that the family would continue to “fight until there’s no more fight left”.
Indi’s parents are being supported by campaign group Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre. Efforts to transfer Indi to a hospital in Italy for treatment were unsuccessful. Speaking at the protest, Thomas stated that “it’s an eight-month-old baby at the end of the day and it’s her life and we’re all heartbroken”. The family is refusing to give up despite the judges’ ruling. There’s still some hope that the life support for Indi will be extended and that the family can find a way to continue treatment.
This ongoing case highlights the challenges that people with incurable diseases face, not only with regard to treatment and care but also when it comes to the legal system. The case of Indi Gregory exemplifies the enormous struggle that families and loved ones must undergo to give the best possible care for a critically ill family member. It remains to be seen whether the family’s efforts will bear fruit or whether they will be forced to comply with the court’s ruling
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