ROME (LifeSiteNews) — Baby Indi died, but her parents fight helped a one-month-old Italian baby receive life-saving surgery in Rome.
On April 23, a one-month-old baby boy, who has a congenital heart condition, traveled from NHS Bristol Royal Hospital for Children in England to the Vatican-controlled Bambino Gesù pediatric hospital in Rome after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stepped in to ensure the baby received crucial treatment that was not available in the U.K.
“My wife and I are very happy and relieved… (Meloni and the Italian authorities) actively took action to make the transfer of our son possible,” the baby’s Italian father told The Times.
The father also thanked the British medical team “for smoothly authorising and supporting us and our son through this process.”
The baby’s parents, whose names have not been disclosed, were told by doctors at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children that treatment for their son was not available in the U.K.
Accordingly, the family appealed to the Italian government to admit their child to the Bambino Gesù pediatric hospital in Rome.
The family was prepared to take their case to court if the hospital refused to transfer their son, as was the case with Baby Indi Gregory, who died last November after she was taken off life support following the order of England’s Court of Appeal.
Meloni had even offered Indi Italian citizenship and to bring her to Rome for specialist treatment. However, the U.K. hospital refused to transfer her after a court ruled that it was in her “best interests” to withdraw life-sustaining measures because she suffered from an incurable mitochondrial disease, and the treatments would cause immense pain and distress to her.
Multiple legal appeals from Indi’s parents did not lead to a reversal of the decision.
However, Indi’s death appears to have helped another baby received care as British doctors agreed to transfer the critically ill baby to received care in Rome.
“We are very pleased that we have been able to demonstrate to the U.K. that it is possible to work together and safely transfer children with serious medical conditions from the U.K. to Rome for specialist treatment,” Simone Pillon, the Italian lawyer representing the parents as well previously being involved in Indi’s case, said.
Doctors at the Vatican-controlled hospital sent an ambulance and full medical team on a specially equipped military aircraft to pick up the baby from Bristol.
After the aircraft’s arrival in Rome on Tuesday, the baby underwent a double operation. He is now recovering in Rome.