Free Republic

"20 different doctors said it was hopeless, so it's all okay"

And I wonder why so many seem to miss a basic question: Is it right for a government in collusion with medical doctors to kill someone - no matter how "rational" or "compassionate" it may seem?

r.i.p.

Update: "Life support off, man breathes" -..."Northern Territory car crash victim whose life support system was turned off yesterday began breathing for himself and asked for his father, giving his family hope of a Christmas miracle."

Brisbane Times
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2007/12/20/1197740416998.html?s_rid=smh:top5

Denying medical treatment to a living, breathing person against family wishes would be criminal neglegencie - if not murder - in most civilized worlds.

Y'all, please take a minute to send the hospital an email, or the judge, or call the hospital, or do SOMETHING if you can.

"I think we ought to butt out of their affairs and stop acting like the worlds homeowners association. "

I'm sorry, but watching a court murder someone doesn't settle well no matter where I am witnessing it. Being here makes it all the more real.

Exactly.

i have to say, that over the past few years I had become rather dissappointed with my native US given how some things have shaped up there for me personally after a divorce, and politically.

But seeing this happen here in Queensland, and the lack of local media coverage, makes me really appreciate home (US). This same thing would NOT happen back home in Austin.

“Where does it say that this man is a “vegetable”?” - yep. And again, why is it even an issue here? Why should a family have to file a lawsuit in a hostile court, in order to keep a murdering doctor from showing such lethal compassion? It’s really sick. I hope the US doesn’t follow suit with similar governments in the future. Mostly though, I hope this person the court has ordered doctors here to kill changes its mind; and I hope the public here (and elsewhere) slows down for long enough to do something about it.

“but i also think that the family should let go.”

yep. as my brother succinctly wrote to me, “when left wingers run things, life gets cheap.”

anyhow, just woke up, running out door to catch a plane so i don’t know latest news on this, but i hope people are listening. it’s quite lame and the forces underlying it are frightening - almost as frightening as the lack of coverage the media is giving it here.

“but i also think that the family should let go.”

maybe, but it’s now our choice - certainly shouldn’t be the Australian government’s choice, in collusion with the attending (government) doctors.

also, i listened to the family on the radio, after the court hearing, and they made a pretty good case, not presented in the written articles, of doctors they’d talked to during the afternoon who said there was a chance of recovery - NEUROLOGISTS rather than an anesthesiologist as cited by the “prosecuting” doctors and relied upon as “evidence of futility” by the court here.

Regardless, it shouldn’t even be considered by a government.

Hello freepers - I have not posted on Free Republic in a while, so please forgive if I am not posting properly and don't pull the thread, k?

I first joined Freerepublic in 1999 or 2000, live in Sydney, Australia now.

A few hours ago, the Australia Supreme Court just ordered that life-support be withdrawn from a young man against the family's vehement objections and attempts to keep him alive. I did not know this could happen here and was really concerned after hearing it on the news an hour or two ago.

"Paulo Melo, 29, has been in a coma at the Royal Darwin Hospital for two weeks, after severing his spinal cord in a car crash."

http://au.news.yahoo.com/071218/21/15bax.html

I don't know if Paulo will survive the night (it's early Thursday morning here) but maybe we can do our part to pressure someone at the hospital, via email, phones, media or political pressure, to turn the machines back on? At least until the family can have independent (non-government?) doctors examine Paulo. This is just wrong IMHO.

"The hospital's medical superintendent, Len Notaras, said the family was told yesterday Mr Melo's life support should be removed after more than 20 specialists agreed he would not recover."

http://au.news.yahoo.com/071218/21/15bax.html

"...Justice Dean Mildren today rejected their application for another extension so a Sydney neurosurgeon could assess Mr Melo in person and give a second opinion... 'On the medical evidence before me the case is futile,' he told the court. Justice Mildren said the family had not provided any medical evidence that Mr Melo would recover, adding that if it were his son he would have taken similar steps, leaving 'no stone unturned'"

...

"Says the hospital (and supported by court), ""They are very concerned as to the family's welfare and indeed we always put our patients first, irrespective of what perception may arise."

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22949433-29277,00.html

Should it be anyone's decision over the family's? Government steps in and make a life-or-death decision against family wishes, out of "compassion" with oh, so much care and compassion on their behalf, and orders government doctors to remove life support from their son? And the doctors actually ask the court to order it, because the family doesn't want them to kill their son? And the court grants this request before the family can have independent study? The court grants this request at ALL?

Please if you have time, send email through the feedback form links, or call concerned parties (information below).

BUT don't keep the ones doing this from doing their jobs! It is a hospital and a court and we do need them to function.

It's also a family. Please do not contact the family, as I am sure they will be inundated.

Also, if any Freepers know anyone of influence in American media, medicine or politics who can contact peers over here who might be able to change decision maker minds here, please urge them to email or call to express their opinion.

The name of the Supreme Court Justice who made the decision is Dean Mildren. Here is his contact information (email or web feedback form - prefer feedback form. Phone: As explained above, dial internationally 011, then Australia country code 61 before the 08 number):

*** Justice Dean Mildren:
(08)899 96365
(08)899 96372 (FAX)
dean.mildren@nt.gov.au

Additional feedback link: http://www.nt.gov.au/ntsc/feedback.html OR DoJWebManager.DOJ@nt.gov.au

Other judges (I don't know if they can move on their own though, so consider not ):

Justice Sally Thomas: (08)899 96472
(08)899 96457 (FAX)
sally.thomas@nt.gov.au

Justice Stephen Southwood: (08)899 96533, (08)899 97293
stephen.southwood@nt.gov.au

Justice Trevor Riley: (08)899 96632
(08)899 96677
trevor.riley@nt.gov.au

Justice Lancelot Priestley: (08)899 96459

Some Australian media:

smh.com.au

yahoo7: http://au.news.yahoo.com/

Here is a potential Australian ally in this, they who may have press relations or contact info: http://agedcareact.wordpress.com http://agedcareact.wordpress.com/2007/07/03/life-support-decision-slammed/

I wish I could send more info than this at the moment, but I have to leave in a bit and won't be able to do anything on this for the next day or so.

Please help if you can!

Thanks, Cheers,

paularish1 (aka "paulsy")

"Movies? Isn't that verboten according to the Koran? Probably just some upstanding muslim trying to purify the place."

only about half the people in KL are Muslim. The rest are Taoist, Buddhist, Christian and a few Hindus.

wow I was just there. hope everyone's okay.

we just had an earthquake here in Tokyo. it was not severe but it felt like it was in the middle 5 magnitude range. Does anyone know where that USGS site is that monotirs all earthquake activity to provide live time reports? I'd like to know how big it was. this is the second one in a week or so.

why are the top floors transparent?

why all this fuss? i don't get it.

okay I'm tryin to figure out this www.astronomynowstore.com thing (subscribe) and it ain't quite easy fer muh. I THINK I serbscribed right properly but ain't sure... could they make it a little easier for we folks? anyhow I got it eventually, nice launch!

Joy and sorrow, RIP

"...one of history's great moral leaders. We're grateful to God for sending such a man, a son of Poland, who became the Bishop of Rome, and a hero for the ages."

wonderful and true.

speechless

"Judge Greer better think twice. He is legally blind and dependent on others to drive him around."

You're saying what a lot of others feel but are afraid to say. The facts may be in dispute, but one fact of somebody killing an innocent person before the truth can be deciphered is clear. The only realistic way this woman's life will be saved is if custody is diverted to her parents. Salvaging the judiciary will be much more complex than saving Terri Shiavo's life.

"...denies Terri final communion..."

I want to see this in the MSM.

that WAS an awesome game. I was at Rockin' Tomato with my kids, and just sort of watching it in the background. I glanced up at the score and AZ was leading by 15. I looked up again and they were leading by 8. A minute later it was 3 points, and by then everyone in the restaraunt was crowding around the set to watch. Then the overtime, this was a GREAT game.