Posted on 04/07/2005 2:59:57 AM PDT by schmelvin
For Immediate release! To: All media, and supporters of life. From: The Family of Mae Magouirk Date: April 6, 2005 Contact: Kenneth Mullinax - Mockingbird@compuhelp.net
Shiavo case revisited in Georgia
Mae Magouirk…not comatose …not vegetative …not terminal
Why is Hospice LaGrange, Ga. withholding nourishment?
(LaGrange, Georgia) Mae Magouirk is being withheld nourishment and fluids and the provisions of her Living Will are not being honored at the Hospice-LaGrange, (1510 Vernon Street, LaGrange “Troup County” Georgia, 706-845-3905) a subsidiary of the LaGrange Hospital in LaGrange Georgia. Her family is desperately seeking to save her life before she dies of malnourishment and dehydration.
Mae Magouirk IS NOT comatose and she IS NOT vegetative. She is not terminal!
Despite these facts the Hospice and Beth Gaddy, a school teacher at LaGrange’s Calloway Middle School and granddaughter of Mae Magouirk have been denying her proactive nourishment or fluids (via a nose administered feeding tube or fluids via an IV) since March 28 without prior legal consent; against the wishes of her Living Will and against the wishes of Mae Magouirk’s closest living next of kin. Mae Magouirk’s next of kin are: Mr. A. B. McLeod (Her Brother) and Mrs. Lonnie Ruth Mullinax (Her sister) both of nearby Anniston, Alabama.
Under Georgia law, unless a medical durable power of attorney is in place, your closest living next of kin are stipulated to make all medical decisions. When Mae Magouirk’s closest living next of kin lodged a complaint with Hospice LaGrange’s in-house attorney Carol Todd last Thursday, March 31, Ms. Todd checked Mae Magouirk’s case file and upon examination of both documents discovered that Beth Gaddy DID NOT have the durable medical power of attorney for Mae Magouirk and upon closer examination of Mae Magouirk’s Living Will ascertained that fluids and nourishment were ONLY TO BE WITHHELD if she was either comatose or vegetative. SHE IS IN NEITHER STATE!!!
Nor is Mae Magouirk terminally ill. Her local LaGrange, Ga. cardiologist, Dr. James Brennan and Dr. Raed Aqel, a highly acclaimed interventional cardiologist at the nationally renowned University of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center have determined that Mae Magouirk’s aortic dissection is contained and not presently life threatening.
Two weeks ago, Mae Magouirk’s aorta had a dissection and she was hospitalized in the LaGrange Hospital in LaGrange, Ga. Her aortic problem was at first determined to be severe and she was admitted in the intensive care Unit. Her granddaughter, Beth Gaddy, a teacher at the Calloway Middle School in LaGrange, stated that she held Mae Magouirk’s medical power of attorney and thus invoked said powers against the wishes of Mae Magouirk’s closest living next of kin by having her moved to Hospice-LaGrange. While at Hospice-LaGrange, Beth Gaddy stated that her wishes were for no nourishment for Mae Magouirk via a feeding tube or fluids via an IV. Before hospitalization Mae was lucid and never had been diagnosed with dementia as was testified to in Probate Court on Monday, April 4, by a local MD.
Page Two Mae Magouirk is being starved to death!
Upon learning from Hospice-LaGrange that Mae Magouirk was being denied nourishment and fluids and upon being told by Carol Todd (Hospice LaGrange’s in-house legal consul) that Beth Gaddy DID NOT HAVE THE PROPER LEGAL AUTHORITY to deny said nourishment AND that the denial of nourishment went against Mae Magouirk’s Living Will, Mae’s family (Mullinax/McLeod) ordered the immediate beginning of such nourishment/fluids for Mae to Hospice via Carol Todd.
First Contact with Hospice on Thursday, March 31 Carol Todd told Mrs. Lonnie Ruth Mullinax (Mae Magouirk’s sister) and Kenneth Mullinax (Mae Magouirk’s nephew) via phone on Thursday, March 31 that Georgia Law stipulated that Mrs. Mullinax and her brother A. B. McLeod (Mae Magouirk’s brother) were entitled to make any and all decisions for Mae Magouirk. Mrs. Mullinax immediately told Carol Todd to insert fluids via an IV and insert a feeding tube, via her nose. Carol Todd had the IV fluids started that evening but told the family that they would have to come to Hospice LaGrange to sign papers to have the feeding tube inserted and because of such, she believed that Mae Magouirk would no longer be a candidate for Hospice LaGrange. She was then told that Mae Magouirk’s family concurred and the ONLY REASON Mae was at Hospice was because the LaGrange Hospital had failed to exercise due diligence in closely examining the power of attorney which Beth Gaddy said she had, as well as executing the provisions of Mae’s Living Will to her preordained stipulations. Gaddy only had a financial power of attorney and did not have a medical power of attorney and Mae Magouirk’s Living Will provided that a feeding tube and fluids SHOULD ONLY BE DISSCONTINUED IF Mae was comatose or in a vegetative state. She was and is in neither state.
Attempt to rescue Mae on Friday denied by Probate Judge Donald Boyd On Friday, April 1, when A. B. McLeod (brother) and Kenneth Mullinax (nephew) showed up to meet with Carol Todd and to arrange emergency air transport of Mae Magouirk to the University of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center (One of the top cardiovascular centers in the USA) Hospice LaGrange stalled them while Beth Gaddy went before Troup County Georgia (LaGrange, Ga.) Probate Judge Donald W. Boyd (who DOES NOT hold a law degree) who granted Beth Gaddy emergency guardianship of Mae Magouirk, giving Beth Gaddy full and absolute authority. Thus, they COULD NOT MOVE HER FOR PROACTIVE MEDICAL CARE Friday because Beth Gaddy had Hospice stop them and then she had Mae’s IV fluid tube pulled out. Beth Gaddy has repeatedly told Mr. McLeod, Mrs. Mullinax and Kenneth Mullinax that she feels they all should let Mae not eat and thus cause her to die because, and we quote Beth Gaddy: “Grandmamma is old and I think it is time she went home to Jesus. She has glaucoma, and now this heart problem and who would want to live with disabilities like these?”
As stipulated under Georgia Law, a hearing for an Emergency Guardianship, must be held within 3 days of its request and Mae Magouirk’s hearing was held on this past Monday, April 4, before Troup County Georgia Probate Judge Donald Boyd who favors granting Beth Gaddy permanent guardianship and thus will seal Mae Magouirk’s fate of allowing Beth Gaddy to starve her to death against the wishes of her Living Will and in full knowledge that Mae Magouirk is not terminal, not in a coma and is not in a vegetative state and that medical care at UAB Medical Center is awaiting her. Shiavo revisited!
Mae’s present state and vital signs Mae’s blood pressure is good, averaging 140/82 with a pulse rate of 88. However, since admission to Hospice she has not been lucid but who would be since nourishment and fluids have been denied since March 28, 2005. Also adding to her confusion is that she is off her regular medicines and is on a dose of Adavan and Morphine. Without food or water her electrolytes and body chemistry is not within its proper parameters. If her condition is not given major public attention soon, she will die, not by divine cause but by the omission of assistance by man. WE MUST GET Mae moved to UAB Medical ASAP
Resources: Probate Judge Donald Boyd…Court CASE NUMBER: Estate 138-05 Attorney for saving Mae’s life: Jack Kirby, Kirby & Roberts***
I'm sticking with you. We need to hear a statement from the doctors. I'm getting the impression that Mae was declared terminal because life is, in other words, because of her age. And that is WRONG.
I have emailed and called everyone I can think of....I will continue to check in and see if there is anything else I can do. Let me know if there is something you want me to do.
I still haven't heard back from DHR for Aging Services.
Now, if you want to do this all by yourself, go for it, but just because someone asks for clarification doesn't mean they don't want to help, and doesn't mean they want Mae to die.
We can't write effective letters if we don't have FACTS and sometimes we have to refute rumors coming from other angles. We also have to be able to show that there is info out there to those hosts that say there isn't, we can't do that if we don't disect the data. If we get blindsided it will hurt the cause. JMO
OK. One minor clarification based on the local paper's story:
Woman, 81, at center of feeding tube feud
http://lagrangenews.com/new.php?StoryType=full
The granddaughter reportedly has been giving some food and hydration by mouth: " . . . [Probate Judge Donald] Boyd said Gaddy testified at the hearing that she feeds her grandmother Jello, chips of ice and 'anything else she'd be willing to eat.' "
The nephew's concern is based on the report of a hospice nurse, based on the story: "Kenneth Mullinax, the patient's nephew of Birmingham, Alabama, said a hospice nurse told him that Magouirk had not received substantial nourishment since March 28."
You're kidding, right? This weekend is going to be the horse and pony wedding show, the whole world needs to see the two adulterers get married. You'll be lucky to get any real news this weekend.
Per Jeff Katz KNEW in San Francisco, he stated he put off talking about this story until almost the end of his show because he was unable to independently confirm the story. He did report the information contained in the WND story. Now on to Mark Levin to see if he will cover it before he's able to independently confirm the story.
I'm with You, Sherri. I think the peculiar twist is that they are starting to put something out and a 'spin' to it. There is no way everything in this case is on the up and up. The nephew probably wants to get his aunt away from the hospice setting and into a setting that will incorporate recuperative activities into Mrs. Mae's daily routine.
We may not have all the facts before compelled to act, but like a great man said, err on the side of life. I would rather fight and toil for life, than sit back and doubt someone to death.
Oh no, you guys are the last people I want to see arguing or what-have-you. You are both too important to this cause. Please, don't have hard feelings for each other. This is a trying time, especially for those directly involved. Please know that we appreciate what you guys are doing. Getting ready to leave work, will check in later.
I am sorry if it sounded like I was addressing you!
I should have changed the TO: to ALL-- sorry-- It was wrong for me to signal you out.
I understand what you are saying about ALL the facts. I can only deal with the info I have.
Again- MAE'S FAMILY is asking us for OUR help--
I HAVE TO FOLLOW MY HEART-- AND HELP!
There is nothing wrong with wanting confirmation. As I mentioned earlier if we ger blindsided it will hurt our cause and could damage future ones as well.
No. I'm not. She's 81-2. Monday is April 11th.
Chuckie has his way now and can rub it in everyone's face. But this old girl is anyone's grandmother or grandfather. Not too long ago, Netizen, she was a step-relative of a friend of mine in similar circumstances (we talked about this yesterday). Hospital to hospice to dead in less than 3 weeks. Wore out his welcome because he was sick and dying slowly, although he rarely took even an aspirin in his entire long life.
BTW:
Joseph Farah said that the granddaughter stands to inherit $500,000.
Do you know if anyone has heard back from Jessie Jackson or
David Boise?
I was hoping to have heard back from DHR by now. :(
I imagine their boxes are overflowing and they may have stopped checking them.
If you’d like to be added or deleted from this Ping List please freepmail me.
Another lady is being dehydrated and starved to death – AGAINST HER WRITTEN WISHES
Folks, I've blatantly plagerized all your pings for the last day and a half and come up with a list of contacts that have been posted. Some have probably been left off and some repeated here. I scanned all 1000+ posts in the last little bit to get these. Formatting's gonna suck for now... it's in a text document and I've got company showing up shortly so I don't have time to fix it right. just wanna get it posted.
Mae Magouirk's legal next of kin are a brother A. Byron McLeod, of Anniston, Alabama and Ruth Mullinax of Birmingham, Alabama.
Fighting very diligently for Mae's life is her nephew Ken Mullinax.
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Mae's cardiologist is Dr. James Brennan of LaGrange, Georgia
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Hospice where Mae is being dehydrated and starved: End of Life, West Georgia Hospice/Hospice LaGrange Team, LaGrange, GA. (706-845-3905) Tollfree: (888) 368-3905 Facility Administrator at the hospice is Cathy Wiggins: Director of Hospice
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Office of Regulatory Services The Office of Regulatory Services (ORS) inspects, monitors, licenses, registers, and certifies a variety of health and child care facilities. Contact Information Two Peachtree Street, N.W. Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3142 Voice: (404)657-5700 Fax: (404)657-5708 Email: mapalli@dhr.state.ga.us Website: http://www2.state.ga.us/departments/dhr/ors/
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Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services Division of Survey and Certification should be contacted here: Patricia Bender 404-562-7445
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http://www.georgiacourts.org/courts/counties/troup/ The Troup County Probate Court address is: 900 Dallis St. LaGrange, GA 30240 Donald W. Boyd Probate Judge Debbie Wade Chief Clerk
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Troup County DFCS 504 East Depot Street LaGrange, Georgia 30241-4631 (706) 845-4200 FAX (706) 845-4221 Director: Willie Rutledge
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GA Dept of Human Resources REPORT ABUSE: (404) 657-9639 OR FAX WRITTEN REPORT TO: (404) 657-5737
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Division of Aging Services Two Peachtree Street, NW, Suite 9-385 Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3142 Phone: 404-657-5258 Fax: 404-657-5285 Website: http://aging.dhr.georgia.gov ----------------
LaGrange City Contact Information:
Tom Hall, City Manager
Meg Kelsey, Assistant City Manager
City Hall - 3rd Floor
200 Ridley Avenue
Tel: 706.883.2000
Fax:706.883.2020
Lukken, Jeff - Mayor
PHONE: 706-883-2010
FAX: 706-883-2020
Dekmar, Lou - Chief of Police 706-883-2612
Edmondson, Rev Willie - City Councilman 706-882-7817
Gore, Dr Tom - City Councilman 706-884-2641
Hall, Tom - City Manager 706-883-2010
Moore, George - Mayor Pro Tem 706-884-5923
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Attorney for saving Mae’s life: Jack Kirby, Kirby & Roberts, (706) 884-2992 ------------------ http://www.notdeadyet.org/
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List of GA HOUSE OF REPS! http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2005_06/house/05alpha.htm List of GA SENATORS: http://www.legis.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/peo_list.pl?List=stsenate
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All the papers in GA http://www.gapress.org/online_edition_links.html and the LaGrange paper: http://www.lagrangenews.com/ David M. (Mike) Pippin - Publisher Andrea Lovejoy - Editor Dan Baker - News Editor Jennifer R. Bell - General Manager
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Zell Miller's contact info is here: http://www.mckennalong.com/attorney-profile-870.html
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E-mail for Sean Hannity: James.Grisham@abc.com
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Christian Communication Network info@EarnedMedia.org
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Georgia Parent and Children Services http://www.georgia.gov/00/channel_title/0,2094,4802_5005,00.html
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Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue http://www.gov.state.ga.us/contact_dom.shtml Web Site: http://www.gov.state.ga.us E-mail: Contact Via 'Web Form.' http://mygov.governmentguide.com/mygov/mail/?id=2582&type=GV&state=GA 203 State Capitol Atlanta, GA 30334 Phone: (404) 656-1776 Fax: (404) 656-5947 Washington Office: 400 N. Capitol St., NW, Ste. 376 Washington, DC 20001 Phone: (202) 624-3681
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And click next link for the media in GEORGIA http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/?command=state_search&state=GA&submit.x=13&submit.y=10
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FOX News Channel Comments Comments@foxnews.com
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TROUP COUNTY ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, DIVISION OF AGING SERVICES' SENIOR ADULT VICTIMS ADVOCATE HOTLINE at: 1-888-774-0152 Troup County Adult Protective Services, HUGH PARTON, at 706-298-7100 HUGH PARTON's direct fax, which goes directly to his desk, is 706-298-7108.
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Georgia Department of Community Health Website: www.dch.state.ga.us Phone: (404) 656-4507 Fax: (404) 651-6880
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cbs phone # is 212-975-3247; e-mail is audsvcs@cbs.com
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Division of Family and Childrens Services (DFCS) Willie Rutledge Troup County DFCS 504 East Depot Street LaGrange, Georgia 30241-4631 (706) 845-4200 FAX (706) 845-4221
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AFA contact box http://www.afa.net/contact.asp
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Concerned Women of America: http://www.cwfa.org/feedback.asp?mode=feedback&referrer=http://www.cwfa.org/media.asp
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Rush: rush@eibnet.com
Dr. Kennedy: cfra@coralridge.org
Gary Bauer: gary.bauer@ mail.amvalues.org
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National Right to Life Website http://www.nrlc.org/
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Georgia Attorney General Thurbert E. Baker Phone: 404-656-3300 FAX : 404-657-8733
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http://www.wghs.org/lagrange.html FYI about the West Georgia Health System West Georgia Medical Center 1514 Vernon Road LaGrange, Georgia 30240 (706) 882-1411 email: info@wghs.org http://www.wghs.org/wgh.html Additional info on Hospice services provided.
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La Grange, GA churches link:
http://www.churchangel.com/WEBGA/lagrange.htm
La Grange City link:
http://www.lagrange-ga.org/
(City council meeting 4/11)
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State of GA House of Representatives Committee on Human Relations and Aging
Office: 404.463.8142
Len Walker Chairman lwalker@nfumc.org 770.448.4142 - Office 770.448.1852 - Fax 678.283.2040 - Cell
Donna Sheldon Vice Chairman dsheldon@legis.state.ga.us 404.656.0188
Dan Lakly Secretary dlakly@mindspring.com 404.202.9811 - Office 770.487.9884 - Fax 404.202.9811 - Cell
Members: Mike Barnes Joe Heckstall Terry Johnson Charlice Byrd Jeannette Jamieson
GA House Public Information Office 404-656-5082 phone 1-800-282-5800 toll-free
Contact page:
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2005_06/house/05alpha.htm
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• Gwinnett Forum Norcross,GA/Gwinnett Forum -- Headquarters
Website: www.gwinnettforum.com Phone: (770) 840-1003 Fax: (770) 840-1003 Address: 40 Technology Pkwy S, Ste 225 Norcross, GA 30092-
• WAGA (Fox-5)Atlanta,GA/WAGA (Fox-5) -- Headquarters
Website: www.wagatv.com Phone: (404) 875-5555 Fax: (404) 898-0169 Address: 1551 Briarcliff Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30306
• WELR 102.3 FM / 1360 AM LaGrange,GA/WELR 102.3 FM / 1360 AM -- Headquarters
Website: www.eagle1023.com Phone: (706) 845-1023 Fax: (334) 863-2540 Address: PO Box 1429 LaGrange, GA 30241-
• WLAG 1240 AM La Grange,GA/ WLAG 1240 AM -- Headquarters
Website: www.eagle1023.com/wlagam/index.html Phone: (706) 845-1023 Fax: (706) 845-8642 Address: PO Box 1429 La Grange, GA 30241
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since this granddaughter's a teacher. Here's a link to all the State of GA Board of Ed members, including contact links, and the Superintendent of Ed there in GA: http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/doe/sboe/index.asp
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Sonja Flanagan at the Georgia Department of Family and Children's services (404)657-5445 Email: stflanag@dhr.state.ga.us.
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Mike Leavett Secretary The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201 Telephone: 202-619-0257 Toll Free: 1-877-696-6775
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Georgia Eagle Forum
http://www.georgiaeagle.org/index.php?where=contact
$500,000?
It is true that people who are near death are usually not going to be able to eat "substantial" meals. Of course, if you have a cold, you might not want to eat much either. Before my bf died, he had all these cravings for what he called "comfort food." I bought and prepared anything he asked for, but he'd eat a bite or two and that would be it. It is entirely possible that Mae has no desire for much food. It looks like the doctors have made a decision not to feed her through a tube because they have decided that the illness she has together with her age is not going to be worth it for her. Again, I would want to hear what the doctors have to say.
You're probably right, but my thought/hope was that they just report the story as is, and perhaps they could get some callers or someone closely involved to call & set the story straight-one way or the other. Wishful thinking...
"Or anyone who doesn't insist on playing God regardless of the courts, the person's wishes, or the rights of the person's spouse."
Can't say I've come across anyone playing God?
Beautiful job!!!!
Thanks for taking the time to make it so much simpler for the rest of us.
Alright folks, send those e-mails, make those calls, send those faxes, send those letters! Weekends mean nothing around here. Get off your butt and save a life.
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