A couple in the United Kingdom have vowed to do “whatever it takes” as they fight the government for their daughter’s life.
Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth are in a court battle over the life of their daughter, seven-month-old Indi Gregory. Indi is battling mitochondrial disease, a condition that has left her in critical care. Doctors at Nottingham University Hospital’s NHS Foundation Trust has argued that Indi should be taken off life support and her ventilator, but her parents are fighting these wishes, arguing instead that their baby is fighting an infection from being in the hospital.
At a hearing on Monday, a doctor advocated for Indi’s treatment to be stopped said to the judge, “The horrible truth is that he is dying,” saying that “additional ventilation” will “prolong things.” Doctors also previously defended the removal of Indi’s life support due to illness.
Indi’s parents refused to accept this and vowed to continue fighting for their daughter.
“We as a family are ready to do whatever it takes to fight for the life of our beautiful daughter, Indi,” Gregory said in a statement.
“Indi has been in hospital all her youth, and she has had her ups and downs, but in the good times she is in a normal ward, breathing on her own and talking happily.”
Gregory continued: “Our daughter responds to us, and on her good days she babbles, makes noises, moves all her limbs. He will surely experience happiness. He cries like a normal baby. We know he’s disabled, but you don’t let disabled people die. We just want to give him a chance.”
Gregory also rationalized the idea that Indi should be taken off life support because she is sick. “You only have one life. You have to go through a little pain to continue that life,” he said.
Indi’s is not the first case where the NHS has refused life-saving treatment with the argument that the patient will die anyway. Charlie Garda little boy with RRM2B mitochondrial depletion syndrome died in 2017 after the NHS refused to offer him continued treatment, despite desperate pleas from his family.
More recently, a young woman known as ST also died after the NHS refused to continue her treatment, despite her desire to continue fighting for her life.
