“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” – Proverbs 31:8-9
Earlier this month, a British couple from the Derbyshire region, Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, experienced a heartbreaking tragedy with the death of their daughter, Indi Gregory. Indi, an eight-month-old infant, passed away on November 13th, but it was not from her severe case of mitochondrial disease.
Devastatingly, the United Kingdom’s government is at fault for Indi’s death. The National Health Service (NHS) physicians determined that continuing to treat Indi would only prolong her suffering. In court, Indi’s parents fought for continued treatment for their daughter as they viewed her life as worth fighting for. Her father stated, “Our daughter responds to us, and on her good days, she is babbling, making noises, moving all her limbs…. We know she is disabled, but you don’t just let disabled people die. We just want to give her a chance.”
Ultimately, the U.K. court denied the parent’s request to continue life-saving treatment for Indi, and unfortunately abided by the recommendation of the NHS which directly led to Indi’s passing. Furthermore, the U.K. government also refused to allow Indi to receive medical treatment elsewhere as the Italian government and the Vatican were offering free health care to Indi and to take care of all costs.
In this tragic story of Indi Gregory, we are reminded that parental rights must be defended ferociously from governmental overstepping. Parents should never become prisoners of the government and should always have the right to freely seek the best path for their children.
LET US PRAY…
Father, please comfort and give Your supernatural peace to Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth. Lord, empower us here in the United States to effectively defend and protect parental rights. Father, somehow please bring good out of Indi Gregory’s tragic situation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
