Parents Find Hospital Willing to Treat Their Critically Ill Baby, But the Horror of Socialized Medicine Soon Becomes Clear
What is the value of a human life?
How far would someone go to save their own child and what happens when a bureaucracy gets to make that decision instead of you?
The heartbreaking case of Indi Gregory, an 8-month-old British baby with a terminal genetic disorder, is the most recent example of what happens when you let the government dictate who is worth the chance at life.
Indi, an 8-month-old with mitochondrial disease, a disease which saps energy, had been receiving treatment at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre, but U.K. doctors had recommended withdrawing life support, stating that there was no cure for her condition, according to the Telegraph.
Doctors advised that continuing to keep Indi on life support was “futile,” and judges agreed that doctors could “lawfully limit the treatment they provide to Indi.”
Indi’s parents, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, lost legal battles in U.K. courts, including the High Court, to keep her on life support against doctors’ recommendations and their case was not accepted at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France.
But now an Italian hospital, through the efforts of Christian Legal Centre, a campaign group, has offered to take over her care.
A representative for the Christian Legal Center said in a statement that a leading pediatric hospital in Italy has offered specialist treatment to Indi.
“Fully-funded by the Italian government, the Bambino Gesu Paediatric Hospital in Rome has agreed to accept Indi for treatment,” the representative said.
Indi’s parents are now begging the doctors at the Queen’s Medical Centre and the lawyers representing the hospital trust to allow them to transfer the child to Rome for treatment.
An Italian hospital has offered to treat a critically ill eight-month-old baby whose parents lost a legal battle for her to stay on life-support in the UK https://t.co/IFDz4eg60E
— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 30, 2023
An Italian hospital has offered to treat a critically ill eight-month-old baby whose parents lost a legal battle for her to stay on life-support in the UK https://t.co/IFDz4eg60E
— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 30, 2023
In a statement released through the Christian Legal Centre, Indi’s father, Gregory said: “We have been given a real chance by the Bambino Gesù Paediatric Hospital for Indi to get the care she needs and to have a longer life.”
“We are amazed and truly grateful to the hospital and the Italian government, which has restored our faith in humanity,” Gregory said, according to the BBC.
However, according to Sky News, on Monday, Christian Concern reported that Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust is unwilling to allow Indi Gregory’s parents to transfer her.
According to the trust, it is in Indi’s “best interests” to discontinue life support.
FUNDRAISER: Indi’s parents, Dean and Claire, have set up a GoFundMe as they desperately seek to preserve the life of their 8-month-old baby girl.
Join the mission to support Indi by clicking the link below. https://t.co/JKsZ1d1Cb4
— Christian Concern (@CConcern) October 30, 2023
A private hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London is scheduled for Tuesday to determine if Indi’s parents will be granted permission to transfer her to Italy.
This is not the first time the U.K. has chosen to end a child’s life rather than allowing them a chance to fight.
In 2017, 11-month-old Charlie Gard, who had the same disease as Indi and who had been the subject of a prolonged battle fought by his parents on his behalf, was taken off life support, according to BBC News.
Prof Michio Hirano, an American neurologist had offered to give him nucleoside bypass therapy but as the case lingered eventually said it was too late to try.
In 2018, Alfie Evans, another British child had his life support shut off after his parents lost their battle to fight to save his life.
We’re heartbroken, say the parents of 23-month-old Alfie Evans, as they announce that the toddler died overnight https://t.co/HuaJV9UFIE
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) April 28, 2018
Natalie Harp warns of the dangers of socialized medicine, invoking Charlie Gard.
“A terminally ill British baby whose government-run health care system decided it was too expensive and too cruel to keep him alive.” pic.twitter.com/fUWMJyY2NC
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) August 25, 2020
Charlie Gard’s parents call for law to protect babies like Alfie Evans https://t.co/3ru8WLsYOl
— LifeSiteNews (@LifeSite) April 27, 2018
According to a Telegraph story tracking the National Health Service (NHS), Britain’s “single-payer” system of national health insurance says that the number of patients waiting to start treatment in England is now 7.8 million.
It’s an example of what happens when the government takes over the healthcare system and a warning to those still pushing for a Medicare-for-all type system.
As bone cancer survivor Natalie Harp said at the Republican National Convention in 2020, “In socialized medicine, you don’t beat the odds — you become the odds.”
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