A Fort Worth, Texas hospital has removed a pregnant, brain-dead woman from life support after agreeing to comply with a judge’s order, her lawyers say.
“Our client, Erick Munoz, has authorized us to give notice that today, at approximately 11:30 a.m. central time, in accordance with the order of the 96th District Court of Tarrant County, Texas, issued Friday, January 24, 2014, Marlise Munoz’s body was disconnected from ‘life support’ and released to Mr. Munoz.,” Heather King and Jessica Janicek said in a statement. “The Munoz and Machado families will now proceed with the somber task of laying Marlise Munoz’s body to rest, and grieving over the great loss that has been suffered. May Marlise Munoz finally rest in peace, and her family find the strength to complete what has been an unbearably long and arduous journey.”
J.R. Labbe, a spokeswoman for John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, issued a statement Sunday that says the hospital “will follow the court order” issued Friday in the case of Munoz.
“From the onset, JPS has said its role was not to make nor contest law but to follow it,” the statement says. “On Friday, a state district judge ordered the removal of life-sustaining treatment from Marlise Munoz. The hospital will follow the court order.” Larry Thompson, a state’s attorney arguing on behalf of the hospital Friday, said the hospital was trying to protect the rights of the fetus as it believed Texas law instructed it to do. The hospital argued it was bound by Texas law that says life-sustaining treatment cannot be withdrawn from a pregnant patient, regardless of her end-of-life wishes. Larry Thompson, a state’s attorney arguing on behalf of the hospital Friday, said the hospital was trying to protect the rights of the fetus as it believed Texas law instructed it to do. “There is a life involved, and the life is the unborn child,” Thompson said.
But on Sunday, the hospital said it would respect the judge’s order and back down.
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Now for the writer’s opinion, and I’m sure I’ll receive grief from some over this opinion and if that’s to be, so be it. I’m no doctor, nor an expert, just an ordinary Christian in my walk through life. The only condemnation that could harm me would have to come from my Lord and Savior, so if necessary, Yeah tho I walk through the valley of death, I FEAR NO EVIL, bring it on!!!
To me, it’s a fairly simple issue to resolve. There are two ‘lives’ to be considered. First the child’s life and then, obviously the mother’s life.
In the case of the child: there are reports the child may have medical difficulties. However, the child is alive and does have the opportunity to live. I’ve read reports that the child would, in time, be born as a “not perfect” human being and at only 23 weeks the child is not yet at a viable age. On that point, I’d like to argue with you for a week. That I guess would legally put the child in a ‘viable age’ range to be provided the opportunity to live. (Really? What a godly decision to make by human beings who seem to feel they are now self-appointed gods!) So, since the child is not perfect, that means it does not have a right to the life our one and only REAL GOD gave him or her? I’m a little concerned; I have heart disease, cancer, a bad back, arthritis in numerous places, and a few other things to top it off. I’m by no means, “a perfect human being”. I’m now concerned for my safety if we, as a society, determine to KILL people because they are not ‘perfect human beings’. What’s next, abortion on demand because the child isn’t of the sex the parents wanted? Oops, to late, we’re doing that in some places around the world already as well! D I S G U S T I N G ! ! !
In the case of the mother: On the assumption that brain-dead really does means dead, and I’m not here to argue that legal issue, the mother is still a viable means of saving the child’s life provided life support measures are continued. If she is officially dead, keeping her body on life support for a little longer TO SAVE HER CHILD’S LIFE, should not cause her pain should it? So, what harm in providing another human being, the child, the opportunity to live while causing no harm to anyone else? It does cause me to wonder why we are discussing pulling her “life support” if there is no life in the first place however. I also have to wonder why we refer to the ‘parents’ as ‘mothers’ and ‘fathers’ if the child is not a living human being.
I do understand what an extremely distressing situation this is for the father and families involved here. My heart goes out to everyone involved in this tragic situation and have prayed for them daily. But we are talking about the taking of a living life!
I ask for everyone’s prayers over this issue.