On Friday 1st December, the funeral service took place for Baby Indi Gregory in Nottingham’s St Barnabas Cathedral. It was an opportunity to celebrate the life of baby Indi and to entrust her precious soul to God’s love.
The Right Reverend Patrick McKinney, Bishop of Nottingham, presided and preached the homily.
“We believe that Jesus has a very special place prepared in heaven for all children, and especially for those who, like baby Indi, die so young,” Bishop Patrick said.
“That’s why Dean and Claire arranged for baby Indi to be baptised. They wanted her to know God’s love and to be able to be close to Jesus forever, and I know this truth gives them great comfort.”
A message from Pope Francis was also read out. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, conveyed Pope Francis’ condolences to the family and other mourners in a message to Bishop Patrick J. McKinney of Nottingham.
“His Holiness Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the death of little Indi Gregory,” the message said, “and he sends condolences and the assurance of his spiritual closeness to her parents, Dean and Claire, and to all who mourn the loss of this precious child of God. Entrusting Indi into the tender and loving hands of our heavenly Father, His Holiness joins those gathered for her funeral in thanking almighty God for the gift of her all-too-short life.”
The father of Indi Gregory paid tribute to his “beautiful warrior” at the eight-month-old’s funeral in Nottingham.
Indi, who was born in February with a rare mitochondrial disease, was at the centre of a legal fight before her life-support treatment was withdrawn and she died at a hospice in the early hours of 13th November.
Her parents Dean Gregory and Claire Staniforth, who are both in their 30s and from Ilkeston, Derbyshire, lost legal bids in the High Court and Court of Appeal in London for specialists to keep treating her.
The couple, supported by campaign group Christian Concern, also failed in a bid to transfer Indi to the Bambino Gesu Paediatric Hospital in Rome for specialist treatment, with the Italian government later offering to pay for Indi’s funeral.
Before a service led by the Bishop of Nottingham, Reverend Patrick McKinney, at Nottingham Cathedral on Friday, Indi’s white coffin, adorned with pink and white flowers, was carried through the city’s streets in a horse-drawn carriage.
More than 100 people, including a delegation from the Italian government, including Minister of Families Eugenia Roccella and Minister of Disabilities Alessandra Locatelli, gathered inside the cathedral for the service at 10.15am, which featured a choir and organ music.
Mr Gregory said in an earlier statement that Indi would have her favourite musical lamb toy in her coffin with her.
Inside the cathedral, a tribute read out by Canon Paul Newman on behalf of Mr Gregory, recognised Indi as a “true warrior”.
He said: “My greatest comfort, at this difficult time, is knowing where lndi is and with whom she is now. I had lndi baptised to protect her and so she would go to Heaven. It gives me peace to know she is in Heaven and God is taking care of her.
“I honestly and truly feel, deep in my heart, that Indi was not only beautiful, strong and unique. I just knew, from the start, she was very special.
“Nonetheless, I could never have imagined the sort of journey we and Indi would have to go through to fight for her life.
“She didn’t only have to battle against her health problems, she had to battle against a system that makes it almost impossible to win.
“Yet, it was her weakest point, her health problems, that distinguished Indi as a true warrior.
“Indi overcame so much: she had seizures, two operations, sepsis, e-coli, including other infections, that even another child would struggle to beat.
“But Indi’s determination to fight for a chance of life really inspired me.
“The strength she had for an eight-month-old child was incredible. And this is one of the reasons I would have done anything for Indi to have the chance to live which was denied her.”
The grieving parents have vowed to make sure their daughter is “remembered forever”.
Mr Gregory’s tribute added: “I have now reached the conclusion that this was indeed Indi’s destiny … but now this chapter of Indi’s destiny is over.
“Her legacy, however, has only just begun. I wanted to make sure Indi would be remembered forever and she will live on in our hearts and through our voices.”
During the service, a book featuring thousands of tributes from across Italy was presented to Indi’s parents.
Paying tribute, Ms Roccella said the Italian government felt “deep sorrow” at Indi’s death.
During the legal battle, High Court judge Mr Justice Peel had ruled limiting Indi’s treatment would be lawful, and doing so would be in her best interests.
Her parents then failed to persuade Court of Appeal judges and judges at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, to overturn that treatment decision.
Mr Justice Peel also ruled a move to Italy would not be in Indi’s best interests and Court of Appeal judges backed that decision.
Judges heard Indi, who was born on 24th February, had mitochondrial disease – a genetic condition that saps energy.”
Picture: Joe Giddens/PA Wire