A critically ill eight-month-old baby has been granted Italian citizenship, after the Court of Appeal dismissed the family’s bid to overturn a ruling that meant she could not travel abroad for treatment.
Indi Gregory was born in February with mitochondrial disease, a genetic condition that saps energy.
Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, Indi’s parents, have continually fought to overturn multiple rulings by UK courts to keep their daughter on life-support.
On Saturday, the couple lost an appeal to overturn a ruling by Mr Justice Peel, who had concluded that it would not be in Indi’s best interests to travel to Bambino Gesu Paediatric Hospital in Rome.
Lady Justice King and Lord Justice Peter Jackson concluded that Indi’s parents did not have an arguable case.
But after the ruling, the Italian Council of Ministers made a decision to grant the infant Italian citizenship.
“My heart fills up with joy that the Italians have given Claire and I hope and faith back in humanity. The Italians have shown us care and loving support and I wish the UK authorities were the same,” Mr Gregory said.
“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.”
The granting of citizenship complicates the case, as the family can pursue new legal proceedings, and there could be questions raised over the UK’s diplomatic and international obligations.
It comes as the legal stay preventing Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham – where Indi is currently being treated – from making arrangements to extubate the infant expired at 2pm on Monday.
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Campaign group the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting the family, claimed that the hospital has threatened to remove Indi’s treatment, despite a Compassionate Care Plan which states the parents should be “supported to decide where compassionate care would be best delivered”.
The group said clinicians refused Mr Gregory and Ms Staniforth’s request to take Indi home today.
The family remain hopeful that Indi will be able to travel for specialist treatment in Rome, which would be funded by the Italian government.
Indi’s parents Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth thanked the Italian government from the bottom of their hearts
“We are at work to remove the last obstacles to allow Indi to come to Italy as soon as possible,” Simone Pillon, an Italian-based lawyer representing the family, said.
“We are very happy to see that the Italian government is working in the best interest of the child and we hope that the British authorities will do the same.”
Last month, Mr Pillion said the fresh treatment plan could potentially “limit or eliminate her physical suffering”.
The NHS Trust in Nottingham resisted plans to allow Indi to move to Italy, saying that she is dying and that the treatment being offered in Rome would not change the outcome for her and her family.
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: “It is very concerning that a child can be held against the parents’ wishes when they have alternative treatment available.
“Transferring Indi to Italy involves no cost to the taxpayer or the NHS. What is it at the heart of this case that is preventing Queen’s Medical Centre from allowing Indi to be transferred to Rome?”