Indi Gregory, an eight-month-old in the United Kingdom who had battled a rare mitochondrial disease, died on 13th November after her parents tried every legal means possible to keep her doctors from ending her life.
Claire Staniforth and Dean Gregory had also made arrangements to have her moved to a hospital in Rome, but U.K. health regulators refused to allow her to go to Italy for treatment. On Friday, little Indi’s parents laid their daughter to rest.
Gregory called his daughter “beautiful, strong, and unique” at her funeral service in Nottingham, according to Christian Concern.
More than 100 people attended the service for the little girl at the Nottingham Cathedral, including a delegation from the Italian government, the BBC reported.
Canon Paul Newman read Indi’s eulogy written by Gregory for his late daughter, the outlet reported.
He wrote: “I honestly and truly feel, deep in my heart, that Indi was not only beautiful, strong, and unique. I just knew, from the start, she was very special. Nonetheless, I could never have imagined the sort of journey we and Indi would have to go through to fight for her life.
“She didn’t only have to battle against her health problems, she had to battle against a system that makes it almost impossible to win. Yet, it was her weakest point, her health problems, that distinguished Indi as a true warrior.
“I would also like to thank all the many people involved in Indi’s legal battle including my lawyers and Christian Concern. You have all been a true inspiration and I truly believe it has been a battle of good versus evil.
“I have now reached the conclusion that this was indeed Indi’s destiny. God put Indi on this earth with the mission to expose evil in the world”.
During the funeral, a book containing thousands of condolences from people across Italy was presented to Gregory and Staniforth.
As CBN News reported in October, a U.K. judge ruled that “it is in the best interest” for Indi to be denied life-saving treatment and removed from life support.
Her parents were devastated when they were informed with only 48 hours’ notice that there would be a legal hearing to determine their baby daughter’s fate.
Earlier that same month, the U.K.’s socialised healthcare system – the National Health Service – told a judge at the High Court in London that it is in Indi’s “best interests” not to be given treatment to “sustain her life” if her condition deteriorates, according to Christian Concern.
According to Christian Concern, Indi had been granted Italian citizenship and her Italian guardian made an urgent application to the U.K. High Court. In addition it was revealed, that Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, urgently wrote to the U.K.’s Lord Chancellor, outlining the urgent application and calling for the two countries to officially collaborate on facilitating Indi’s transfer to Rome.
Also, the Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome had agreed to accept Indi for treatment and to carry out the right ventricular outflow tract stent procedure that had been put forward by medical experts. The Italian government also offered to fund the treatment at no cost to the NHS or U.K. taxpayers, the Christian watchdog said.
But the judge still claimed that moving Indi to Italy would not be in her best interests, and the Court of Appeals judges backed the decision, according to the BBC.
The outlet reported the infant was dying and her treatment was causing pain and was futile.
Throughout the legal battle, the family was supported free of charge by the Christian Legal Centre.
Source: cbn.com/
