A court in Britain has allowed the withdrawal of life-sustaining invasive treatment for an 8-month-old terminally ill British girl. As a result, she was granted Italian citizenship on Monday.

The current situation of Baby Indi Gregory is just one of many instances in Britain where healthcare professionals and guardians have disagreed on the care of incurably sick infants.

The family of the child is optimistic that the Italian government’s ruling will strengthen their efforts to have her transferred to Italy. A virtual court hearing is set for Tuesday where a British judge will discuss matters regarding the care of the infant. Last week, the judge made a decision that the baby cannot be relocated to Italy.

The Vatican’s children’s hospital, Bambino Gesu, located in Rome, has offered to provide medical care for Indi Gregory. The Italian government has agreed to cover the cost of any necessary treatment in Italy.

The Italian government, in accordance with their belief in humanitarian ideals, held a short meeting on Monday specifically to grant citizenship to the child.

Premier Giorgia Meloni expressed her determination to fight for little Indi’s life and support her parents’ efforts in a Facebook post, despite the lack of hope for her.

According to British legislation, the main concern in these situations is determining whether a suggested medical procedure is what is most beneficial for the child. Courts have consistently supported doctors’ choices to discontinue life-sustaining treatment, even if it goes against the desires of the child’s parents.

Indi suffers from a unique metabolic condition called mitochondrial disease, wherein her cells lack the ability to generate sufficient energy for normal functioning. This deadly ailment has resulted in gradual deterioration of her brain, rendering her completely reliant on life-sustaining measures, as stated in the evidence presented before the High Court in London.

Christian Concern, a group advocating for the parents, stated that Justice Robert Peel will address concerns about whether doctors will end life-support treatment during Tuesday’s virtual hearing.

On Thursday, Peel denied the appeal made by Indi’s father to transfer her to the Vatican’s pediatric hospital for additional medical care.

The recent ruling by Peel stated that there were no new developments since the previous ruling allowing the removal of invasive life-sustaining treatment. The judge’s decision was influenced by the discovery that Indi had minimal awareness of her surroundings and a severely limited quality of life. In addition, evidence revealed that she frequently suffered from pain due to her treatment.

The Vatican hospital provided limited information about the plan for Indi’s treatment. The judge believed it would involve more invasive procedures and there was no proof that experimental treatments would enhance her well-being. Furthermore, relocating Indi to Rome could potentially worsen her emotional state and pain, according to Peel.

In his decision, Peel stated that he believes the idea of relocating to Rome would not be beneficial for IG.