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***
Thank you so much for posting the viatical information. I had heard of some of the practices, but the clarification of the pervasiveness was new to me. Thanks, teach.
I totally AGREE with YOU. Like oh the public should not be involved it is a private family matter. Hell no! Murder is not private!!! I also hope the Public would rais Holy H E Double Hocky Sticks if it were happening to me.
Good work! Recorded it for action on this issue. Thanks for the sleuthing. ;)
So where's the media frenzy? Where's the right wing zealots and the left wing let's put em to death zealots. Where Santorum and Delay? Where's Sean Hannity? Where's Randal Terry?
It's like Misery with Caan and Bates. Disabled people can be trapped, used, and hurt by those taking care off them. How can they get help if everyone turns away?
Cranford is also a bio-ethicist. I have no respect for them. What gives a bio-ethicist the right to decide when someone should die?
The key words, well there are so many fo them actually.
You read the first post as we all did. We waited while Freepers checked out the facts and various Freepers did so, and nothing they checed out so far has contradicted the post. Yeah the post is a bit hard to follow, therefore I read it 3 times to make sure I really understood it.
Instead of saying, "I had a hard time following exactly what the situation herre with Mae is..." why don't you print it out and read it until you do understand it.
Isn't it a bit intellectually lazy to not make an effort to understand it and instead say, "well I dont' get it, so I'll jsut assume it is a private family matter?"
C'mon use your gray cells!!!
And I'm not saying this in a derogatory way, but more of a request to "get busy"
Netizen- YOU have about the best manners of the group!
You say things so nicely and non-confontational. I wish I could say it like you do.
Of course I won't. I never said she was "brain dead"! "Brain Dead" isn't what we're talking about..that's an irrelevant issue!
See there were a heck of a lot of freepers, myself included that actually did the research, which is why we were all so incensed.
Well, you didn't do a very good job of your research if at the end of it all you still dont' know the difference between "PVS" and "brain dead." Try less bluster and more facts.
Might I recommend
http://home.comcast.net/~trinity_tx/index.htm
and
http://www.freerepublic.com/~trinitytx/
Do you jsut throw statments out to get a reaction?
No, I write them because they are true. Please stop projecting.
Oh, and...
AFTER the Legal decision in 2002 a Brand New Medical diagnosis was created. It is called Minimully Conscious.
Yes, and the doctors who testified that Mrs. Schiavo was PVS were quite aware of the condition. In fact, Dr. Cranford has used that diagnosis in other high-profile cases, such as Robert Wendland. Dr. Cranford also made it QUITE clear that Mrs. Schiavo is NOT "minimally concious"...she's PVS.
Then you quote someone who says:
"I have viewed the short video clips on the Terri Schiavo website. Based on those short clips there appears to be evidence that Ms. Schiavo responds to her mother and is able to distinguish her mother form other persons who interact with her."
Bias is only reason I can see that you'd listen to a doctor who has not examined the patient--and who is basing his judgements on SELECTIVE clips--rather than listen to ALL THE NEUROLOGISTS who EXAMINED Mrs. Schaivo (except for the National Enquirer one).
If this doctor is TRULY knowledgeable about PVS, then he would know that smiling, crying, limited tracking, etc., are all common in PVS patients. Those who viewed the WHOLE FOUR AND A HALF HOURS OF VIDEO (Greer wasn't the only court to do so) were quite convinced that the diagnosis was correct. IF I could selectively present a few clips of a huge pile of data, wow, what things I could "prove"!!
marker
There was a female neurosurgeon on FNC one day and she did examine Terri and said that Terri wasn't vegetative. You could probably do a search but I doubt that you are that interested. I remember your posts now! You are the one that kep maligning Dr. William Hammesfahr, even when I refuted your claims you still kept posting that quack junk, which showed that it is you that is the quack.
Also there is a lady named Kate Adamson, that was in the same type of condition as Terri and she IMPROVED, but then again she had a loving, caring husband making sure that she had full rehab. Kate Adamson
Dr. William Hammesfahr to Present at the 4th International Symposium on Brain Injury and Cerebral Palsy, the largest meeting of specialists in pediatric brain injuries ever heldJuly 29, 2004 -- Dr. W. Hammesfahr, nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine, will be discussing the breakthrough he pioneered. Dr. Hammesfahr discovered that certain FDA approved medications may help increase blood flow to damaged areas of the brain after stroke and other injuries. Thus injuries that were thought to be permanent, even years after a patient had stopped improving, could now be treated successfully, and most patients would improve. Essentially, this means that most patients with permanent injuries from a stroke can get better, even years after their stroke. Most patients with permanent brain injuries, even years after their injury, can get better.
An internal Medicare review identified that this therapy helped patients gain significant improvement even years after the injury and years after they had stopped improving before obtaining Dr. Hammesfahr's approach. Judicial Review in November of 2003 ordered Medicare payment for Dr. Hammesfahr's approach in conditions of the brain that involved damage, injury, or abnormal function of blood vessels. The judge noted that judicial review of the method, science, and results showed significant improvement. Further, he identified that there was no "viable alternative" to obtain improvement in these patients with longstanding as well as acute injuries to the brain and blood vessels than Dr. Hammesfahr's approach.
Further work showed that it was also applicable to other diseases of the brain where insufficient blood flow to the brain is a part of the problem, diseases like Attention Deficit Disorder, Migraine, Dementia, Autism, Asperger's, and Cerebral Palsy.
In clinical reviews, 98% of patients had major, functional improvement. These reviews were evaluated by Judge Susan Kurkland, for the State of Florida, Department of Health. She described in her ruling that this new therapy is safe, unique, and that Dr. Hammesfahr is the "first physician to restore deficits caused by stroke."
Dr. Hammesfahr will be speaking at the 4th International Symposium, the largest meeting or brain specialists for pediatric brain injuries ever.
Speakers from around the world including Mexico, Russia, China, Europe, and elsewhere will be meeting to discuss new approaches including Stem Cell work, and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.
4th International Symposium on Cerebral Palsy and the Brain Injured Child
July 28-31, 2004
The Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six
Fort Lauderdale, FloridaThese Medicare and State of Florida reviews are posted at his web site at hni-online.com
For further information concerning the conference, contact OceanHBO.com
For further information concerning Dr. Hammesfahr's work and approach, contact hni-online.com
727-461-4464
Clearwater, FloridaThis article courtesy of http://www.ecerebralpalsy.com.
You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.
I believe that Terri's family prooved she could give love and accept love so according to your criteria she should have lived.
You appear to be evaluating "quality of life" FYI- Terri's medical bills were paid by Medicare after her medical malpractice money was all spent on lawyers in order to kill her. Yeah her Meical malpractice money didn't go for her care it went to pay her husband's lawyers to get her killed. Isn't that ironic.
My understanding is that Greer is legally blind, so I'm not sure that he actually viewed the tapes and saw them CLEARLY.
Well, I do feel for them...I believe that they have truly believed they saw reactions where there were none. Talk to those who work with the profoundly injured, and you'll hear that is a common thing from hopeful relatives.
But I don't think it's an excuse for suddenly making horrid accusations against Mr. Schiavo 12 years after the collapse. I can certainly understand that Mr. Schiavo cannot trust the Schindlers. I'm not even getting into the possibility of childhood abuse...I'm talking just how they treated their daughter's husband.
As for pro-life, well, I am pro-rights. People have a right to life, but also a right to choose not to live.
No... I am not a doctor or a member of her family or a judge in the case, I've heard nothing but internet rumour, and I have the honesty to say I don't have near enough information to start making phone calls to people.
We need information from the family!
Terri had a website that was official.
This is what is happening to Terri, it is on the website.
Ont his thread some Freepers investigated and so far this looks legit. Just need that person who actually talked with the nephew to come back here and post.
S/he jsut said I talked with the nephew, go look at this other website for the low down. But then nothing. Once this starts to gel with places we can go to fact check and verify then we can crank it up. For me I am poised and ready to act, but waiting for the validation.
I can't believe you just said that. We'll drop it.
All that is the kind of innuendo I have so far resisted getting involved in.
Or maybe I truly believe it is a family matter. I have no interest in getting involved in this case. I'll depart the thread.
Dog, I wasn't referring to the lady. I was referring to the laws, policies and judges who are taking this road. Step 1 was loud, and not 1 week later, we're at step 2?
To my way of thinking, every American is on life support. The issue is just which category is next. It's a little like the old joke about price: "My dear, we've decided the kind of woman you are. Now we're just haggling over the price."
Get more information about this lady? OK. But let her die while we wait and see....and she may/may not continue starving for no good reason other than that she is aged? NO.
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