Posted on 04/07/2005 5:34:06 PM PDT by News Hunter
Edited on 04/07/2005 5:39:05 PM PDT by Sidebar Moderator. [history]
In a situation recalling the recent death of Terri Schindler-Schiavo in Florida, an 81-year-old widow, denied nourishment and fluids for nearly two weeks, is clinging to life in a hospice in LaGrange, Ga., while her immediate family fights desperately to save her life before she dies of starvation and dehydration.
Mae Magouirk was neither terminally ill, comatose nor in a "vegetative state," when Hospice-LaGrange accepted her as a patient about two weeks ago upon the request of her granddaughter, Beth Gaddy, 36, an elementary school teacher.Also upon Gaddy's request and without prior legal authority, since March 28 Hospice-LaGrange has denied Magouirk normal nourishment or fluids via a feeding tube through her nose or fluids via an IV. She has been kept sedated with morphine and ativan, a powerful tranquillizer.
Her nephew, Ken Mullinax, told WorldNetDaily that although Magouirk is given morphine and ativan, she has not received any medication to keep her eyes lubricated during her forced dehydration.
"They haven't given her anything like that for two weeks," said Mullinax. "She can't produce tears."
The dehydration is being done in defiance of Magouirk's specific wishes, which she set down in a "living will," and without agreement of her closest living next-of-kin, two siblings and a nephew: A. Byron McLeod, 64, of Anniston, Ga.; Ruth Mullinax, 74, of Birmingham, Ala.; and Ruth Mullinax's son, Ken Mullinax.
Magouirk's husband and only child, a son, are both deceased.
In her living will, Magouirk stated that fluids and nourishment were to be withheld only if she were either comatose or "vegetative," and she is neither. Nor is she terminally ill, which is generally a requirement for admission to a hospice.
Magouirk lives alone in LaGrange, though because of glaucoma she relied on her granddaughter, Beth Gaddy, to bring her food and do errands.
Two weeks ago, Magouirk's aorta had a dissection, and she was hospitalized in the local LaGrange Hospital. Her aortic problem was determined to be severe, and she was admitted to the intensive care unit. At the time of her admission she was lucid and had never been diagnosed with dementia.
Claiming that she held Magouirk's power of attorney, Gaddy had her transferred to Hospice-LaGrange, a 16-bed unit owned by the same family that owns the hospital. Once at the hospice, Gaddy stated that she did not want her grandmother fed or given water.
"Grandmama is old and I think it is time she went home to Jesus," Gaddy told Magouirk's brother and nephew, McLeod and Ken Mullinax. "She has glaucoma and now this heart problem, and who would want to live with disabilities like these?"
Gaddy's telephone is not in operation and she could not be reached for comment.
According to Mullinax, his aunt's local cardiologist in LaGrange, Dr. James Brennan, and Dr. Raed Agel, a highly acclaimed cardiologist at the nationally renowned University of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center, determined that her aortic dissection is contained and not life-threatening at the moment.
Mullinax also states that Gaddy did not hold power of attorney, a fact he learned from the hospice's in-house legal counsel, Carol Todd.
On March 31, Todd told Ruth and Ken Mullinax during a phone conversation Georgia law stipulated that Ruth Mullinax and her brother, A.B. McLeod, were entitled to make any and all decisions for Magouirk. Ruth Mullinax immediately told Todd to begin administering food and fluids through an IV and a nasal feeding tube.
Todd had the IV fluids started that evening, but informed the family that they would have to come to the hospice to sign papers to have the feeding tube inserted. Once that was done, Magouirk would not be able to stay at the hospice.
Ken Mullinax recalled that Todd said the only reason Magouirk was in the hospice in the first place was that the LaGrange Hospital had failed to exercise due diligence in closely examining the power of attorney Beth Gaddy said she had, as well as exercising the provisions of Magouirk's living will.
Todd explained that Gaddy had only a financial power of attorney, not a medical power of attorney, and Magouirk's living will carefully provided that a feeding tube and fluids should only be discontinued if she was comatose or in a "vegetative state" – and she was neither.
Gaddy, however, was not dissuaded. When Ken Mullinax and McLeod showed up at the hospice the following day, April 1, to meet with Todd and arrange emergency air transport for Magouirk's transfer to the University of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center, Hospice-LaGrange stalled them while Gaddy went before Troup County, Ga., Probate Court Judge Donald W. Boyd and obtained an emergency guardianship over her grandmother.
Under the terms of his ruling, Gaddy was granted full and absolute authority over Magouirk, at least for the weekend. She took advantage of her judge-granted power by ordering her grandmother's feeding tube pulled out, just hours after it had been inserted.
Florida law requires that a hearing for an emergency guardianship must be held within three days of its request, and Magouirk's hearing was held April 4 before Judge Boyd. Apparently, he has not made a final ruling, but favors giving permanent guardianship power to Gaddy, who is anxious to end her grandmother's life.
Ron Panzer, president and founder of Hospice Patients Alliance, a patients' rights advocacy group based in Michigan, told WND that what is happening to Magouirk is not at all unusual.
"This is happening in hospices all over the country," he said. "Patients who are not dying – are not terminal – are admitted [to hospice] and the hospice will say they are terminally ill even if they're not. There are thousands of cases like this. Patients are given morphine and ativan to sedate them. If feeding is withheld, they die within 10 days to two weeks. It's really just a form of euthanasia."
Ken Mullinax does not want that to happen to his aunt. He pointed out that one of the ironies in this tragedy is that the now-helpless woman worked for years as a secretary for a prominent local cancer doctor.
"She devoted her whole life to helping those who heal others, and now she's being denied sustenance for life," he said.
Mullinax said he has begged Gaddy to let him take on full responsibility for his aunt's care.
"If she would just give us a chance to keep Aunt Mae alive, that's all we ask," he said. "They [Beth and her husband, Dennis Gaddy] have a family and Beth is a teacher, and it was just getting to be a lot of trouble. But I'm the caregiver for my mom, and Aunt Mae could move in with us. We'll buy another house with a bedroom and we'll take care of her. She can move in with us once she can leave the hospital."
But her health becomes more precarious by the hour. Her vital signs are still good, but since admission to hospice she has not been lucid – "but who would be since nourishment and fluids have been denied since March 28," Mullinax remarked.
Attorney Carol Todd could not be reached for comment; a message on her voicemail said she would not be gone the entire week of April 4. Hospice-LaGrange did not return phone calls.
Heard-about-this-on-the-radio-this-AM ping.
So you're saying she may not be being starved and dehydrated?
And if you lack any relatives, your neighbors or the civil authorities will do.
Also a thread here:
Florida law requires that a hearing for an emergency guardianship must be held within three days of its request, and Magouirk's hearing was held April 4 before Judge Boyd. Apparently, he has not made a final ruling, but favors giving permanent guardianship power to Gaddy, who is anxious to end her grandmother's life.
Again I would encourage you to read first before making a foolish statement.
Any other complaints about my "due diligence"?
It would seem that WND was in such a hurry to fan the flames that it failed to edit its story.
REALLY? I just "re-checked" WND story and here is what is posted:
This is what was reported by WND:
Georgia law requires that a hearing for an emergency guardianship must be held within three days of its request, and Magouirk's hearing was held April 4 before Judge Boyd. Apparently, he has not made a final ruling, but favors giving permanent guardianship power to Gaddy, who is anxious to end her grandmother's life
PERHAPS, they had inadvertently transposed Florida for Georgia and have since corrected their error. If so, I stand corrected and apologize.
THAT SAID, does that negate the entire factual basis for the story?
FAN THE FLAMES?
Oh yeah, that's great!!!! Never mind that this "may" be yet another case of "state-sponsored, MURDER."
Let us "Shoot the Messenger" if "whoever they are" does not comport to "your" perceived standards of what constitutes a "legitimate/believable" news media outlet.
Makes sense to me!!!
I'd be curious as to exactly what/who in the media meets your criteria as a "believable" source?
Right now, Glenn Beck is reporting on this story.
Is he also NOT to be believed, or are you simply one of the many "Pro-Death" supporters I have been exposed to over the past several weeks re: Terri Schiavo?
On a dup thread that got pulled, you (TG) asked someone about the Glenn Beck interview with Mae's nephew Ken Mullimax. Glenn just said he will post the audio of the interview on his website. His research guy is compiling info right now so it will probably be available later today.
Interview was very compelling and according to her nephew, every word of that original email alert is true.
Another woman is being dehydrated and starved to death. For those who don't know background, story is at end of contacts.
Also, see this thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/post?id=1379016%2C591
Please help us notify media. Do as much as you can. If you only have a little time, please do SOMETHING. Thanks.
If you have a lot of time, you can contact eeevil conservative by PM, in order to get her name & give it as contact info., as she has talked with Mae's family and others.
Sean Hannity's e-mail: James.Grisham@abc.com
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
Special Note
Nationwide local media contact database - one of the best all-purpose links.
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media
For contact info for all media in a local area, enter your zipcode.
For contact info for all media in a state, click that state on the map.
For national media, check the "show national media" box.
When it returns your list of media outlets, you can click on the name to go to the website.
If you want to send email to any or all of them, click the box next to the name. Then, click "compose message". When the next screen comes up, enter the requested information, type in your message, and click "send message".
==>Added bonus: on the left hand side of the search page are links to the same kind of contact info for national, state and local officials; and state agencies.
To Call FOX News Channel:
1-888-369-4762
FOX News Channel Comments
Comments@foxnews.com
cbs phone # is 212-975-3247; e-mail is audsvcs@cbs.com
If you call you can either leave a message on their answering machine, or if you wish to talk with a "real person," call between 10 - 11:30 a.m. or 2 - 3:30 p.m.
Here's the background for those who don't know:
To view ENTIRE article, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/a...RTICLE_ID=43688
Thursday, April 7, 2005
MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH
Granddaughter yanks grandma's feeding tube
81-year-old neither terminally ill, comatose, nor in vegetative state
Posted: April 7, 2005
7:33 p.m. Eastern
By Sarah Foster
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
In a situation recalling the recent death of Terri Schiavo in Florida, an 81-year-old widow, denied nourishment and fluids for nearly two weeks, is clinging to life in a hospice in LaGrange, Ga., while her immediate family fights desperately to save her life before she dies of starvation and dehydration.
Mae Magouirk was neither terminally ill, comatose nor in a "vegetative state," when Hospice-LaGrange accepted her as a patient about two weeks ago upon the request of her granddaughter, Beth Gaddy, 36, an elementary school teacher.
Also upon Gaddy's request and without prior legal authority, since March 28 Hospice-LaGrange has denied Magouirk normal nourishment or fluids via a feeding tube through her nose or fluids via an IV. She has been kept sedated with morphine and ativan, a powerful tranquillizer.
Her nephew, Ken Mullinax, told WorldNetDaily that although Magouirk is given morphine and ativan, she has not received any medication to keep her eyes lubricated during her forced dehydration.
"They haven't given her anything like that for two weeks," said Mullinax. "She can't produce tears."
The dehydration is being done in defiance of Magouirk's specific wishes, which she set down in a "living will," and without agreement of her closest living next-of-kin, two siblings and a nephew: A. Byron McLeod, 64, of Anniston, Ga.; Ruth Mullinax, 74, of Birmingham, Ala.; and Ruth Mullinax's son, Ken Mullinax.
Magouirk's husband and only child, a son, are both deceased.
In her living will, Magouirk stated that fluids and nourishment were to be withheld only if she were either comatose or "vegetative," and she is neither. Nor is she terminally ill, which is generally a requirement for admission to a hospice.
Magouirk lives alone in LaGrange, though because of glaucoma she relied on her granddaughter, Beth Gaddy, to bring her food and do errands.
(Excerpt)
In wondering about why the judge did what he did, some possible scenarios came to mind and they too would be chilling.
What if the granddaughter questioned just who would take care of the grandmother and bring her food because she was not going to do it any longer?
What if the granddaughter (who has the financial POA) advised that she would not pay for nursing home care and she had the authority to do so?
There could be all kinds of legal maneuvering by one that has the POA tying the hands of those that love her.
One thing we need and it is becoming very clear. We need a way for the incapacited elderly to reside in a spot where other incapacited elderly live and maybe something like houseparents that could provide the individual required assistance to help them live. This would have to be very reasonable and maybe just provide them a small, easy to maintain space for living.
There are handicapped apartments geared for the handicapped at reduced rates and the residents care for each other. We need something like this for the elderly with access for the aid they need without it being $1000/mo.
Thank all of you for being the kind, caring individuals I expect to find on FR.
I am not able to help in this fight right now but will as soon as I can. Hope we can be successful.
God bless all of you. You give me hope.
When you have no moral clarity or ethics, you are able to consent to a myriad of nefarious schemes. Usually those schemes benefit the one with no moral clarity. No moral clarity, no ethics, no concern for the rights of others, no compassion.
All is geared to the selfishness of the person.
Take God out, destroy our schools, and you instill the god of self and the battle is on.
The reason I pinged you to this thread is because on several drug threads in the past, you were able to dig up information not reported in the story giving other freepers the "big picture". The way this story is described in this article, it is so heinous that I really hope there is more to it than this.
God ordains governments to as agents to enforce His laws. When a goverment becomes rebrobate, God no longer is with that government. We are quickly approaching that now.
Interesting that the person who most certainly knows - the granddaughter with financial POA - is the one trying to make her dead.
Yeah, but I think I'm all Terri'd out.
Personally, I would have to agree with you.
After all, it was such an "inconvenience" and "interruption" from all the much more "pressing" and "important" goings-on in the World, to have to been exposed to such a "trivial matter."
After all, there was the price of gas going thru the roof; there was the issue of Social Security; we were "sidetracked" from getting more news about the U.N.; then there was was always the War in Iraq which was being forgotten, etc., etc., etc.,
Hey, were not those and so many other "newsworthy" and important matters, more pressing than the FIRST "state-sponsored euthanasia (in our lifetime and we were aware of)being exposed for all to see?
Probably not!!!
So "pedestrian;" so "mundane;" so "over the top;" so "boring."
Good ole Mae is the next cause celeb I guess, about to have her private life made public by the nosy busybodies with a cause.
"Good ole Mae?" Methinks you give your age away here. Only a youngun (or perhaps a simply, ignorant person) would refer to an 81 year old grandmother whom one does not know as "good ole Mae." Which is it?>
Ah yes, the "bête noir" cause celeb. Here we go again. All us "busybodies" who have nothing better to do, simply want to invade poor old Mae Magouirk personal life and inject our values in to something (akin to the Terri Shiavo tragedy, don't you know) which should no doubt, in your opion, be a "personal family matter?"
Yes, why can't all of us "busybodies" simply leave well enough alone and let her grand-daughter and another Probate Judge kill off "ol Mae?" SORRY PAL, NO CAN DO!!!! Whether you (or anyone else) likes it or not, there are some of us "busybodies" who consider the "sanctity" of life rather important and whether a person is 81 SECONDS old or 81 YEARS old, we believe that in cases such as these, there should be an impartial and "fair" judicial resolution--before pronouncing an "order" these "victims be "euthanized."
I just wonder how long this one will go on before the real truth is known
Oh, I don't know. Why don't you tell me/us?
Of course, that would depend on your definition of "truth." We may NEVER know the whole "truth" about Terri Schiavo. Or were you referring to a predetermined expectation (and secretly hoping for) that this all turns out of be a BIG HOAX, in order to give you and so many others reason to put "us" in our place?
posting the doctors office number so that by implication others may call is SICK.
Holy crap have y'all seen this? Glenn was talking to the cousin through the nine o clock hour.
Make that the nephew.
That is strange. I can't imagine why they'd care about the "slippery slope" argument coming to pass... they've already invested themselves in the position that lesser people should be deleted from society. This is exactly what they wanted.
You're absolutely right. We have entered a serious time in our nation when the culture of death is way over the culture of life. Very, very sad for US.
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