Posted on 04/09/2005 3:32:47 AM PDT by ovrtaxt
MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH
Georgia 'Grandma's' life
in hands of 3 cardiologists
Relatives say 81-year-old not being adequately fed despite living will
By Sarah Foster
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
The fate of Ora Mae Magouirk rests in the hands of three cardiologists, whose court-assigned task is to decide whether the 81-year-old widow should be transported from the hospice in LaGrange, Ga., where she has been a patient since March 22, to the University of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center for treatment of an aorta dissection.
Under the terms of an April 4 court order, La Grange cardiologists James Brennan and Thomas Gore, and Dr. Raed Aquel, of UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, are to evaluate Magouirk and decide what treatment would be best and where it should take place.
But while the doctors ponder her condition, it is not certain if Magouirk has had a nasal feeding tube inserted for nourishment or an IV for hydration. According to Magouirk’s nephew, Ken Mullinax, 45, his aunt has been without substantial food or hydration for 10 days.
As WND reported, Magouirk was neither terminally ill, comatose, nor in a persistent vegetative state, when Hospice-LaGrange, in LaGrange, Ga., accepted her as a patient upon the request of her granddaughter, Elizabeth ("Beth") Gaddy, 36, of Hoganville, Ga. Also upon Gaddy's request, the Hospice began withholding food and water from the patient.
When she learned of this, Magouirk's sister Lonnie Ruth Mullinax, 74, of Birmingham, and her brother, A.B. McLeod, 64, of Anniston, Ala., protested and attempted to have their sister removed from the hospice and transported to UAB Medical Center for treatment. However, Gaddy and her brother, Michael Shane Magouirk, obtained an emergency injunction from Troup County Probate Judge Douglas Boyd to prevent the planned air transport.
In her petition Gaddy argued that "irreparable harm" would occur to Magouirk if she were removed from Hospice.
Ken Mullinax hoped that publicity about the case would result in a feeding tube being inserted so she could begin receiving nourishment, but he told WorldNetDaily this has not happened.
WorldNetDaily has not been able to verify if food is still being denied, but if it is it would be in contradiction of the court’s ruling.
In his order, Probate Judge Douglas Boyd permitted Gaddy to continue as Magouirk's temporary guardian, but in a formal letter attached to the order stated that her powers were limited. One of the conditions of her guardianship is "To see that the ward [Magouirk] is adequately fed, clothed, sheltered and cared for, and receives all necessary medical attention, including placement in a nursing home, if appropriate."
Mullinax credits Dr. Aquel with saving his mother’s life two years ago, when she – like her sister – suffered an aorta dissection.
"Surgery has never been an option we advocated because Mae's sister, Lonnie Ruth Mullinax, has the same condition as Mae and was successfully treated without surgery at the UAB Medical Center," Mullinax told WND.
It is for this reason that Mullinax, his mother, and his uncle A.B. McLeod are so anxious to have her transported to UAB, and hope the three cardiologists will agree.
Their decision is expected at any moment.
Worrying over the plight of her sister has adversely affected Ruth Mullinux's health. Although she substantially improved following her dissected aorta, doctors advised her son, Ken, who is her caregiver, to "keep all bad news" from his mother.
However, she had to be told about her sister's situation because it was necessary for her to be in Judge Boyd's courtroom for the April 4 hearing as she was fighting Gaddy's petition for guardianship over Ora Mae, and had already learned about the denial of food by talking with Hospice counsel, Carol Todd.
"The stress from this horror has hit home," Mullinax told WND in an e-mail. "Thursday evening Mom complained of tremendous pains."
He took her to the emergency room at UAB, where tests were performed that revealed her dissection had moved to her aortic artery.
Mullinax said he spoke with vascular surgeons Friday, and was told they were holding off on immediate surgery.
"They're going keep her in intensive care three more days," he said. "Her aorta has extended to what they call a level five – if it goes to six it becomes critical. This situation – what they're doing to her sister – it's literally broken my mother's heart."
Beth Gaddy has changed her telephone to a non-listed number and could not be reached for comment.
I guess 80 million dead babies aren't enough for the death worshippers. Now we have to start sacrificing the disabled and elderly on a national scale too.
Is this woman concious?
If so, has she been declared mentally incompetent or suffering from dementia?
If she's not PVS, terminally ill or comatose why isn't she speaking for herself?
The story seems to lack this detail. I'm not for "killing off" the elderly (although you're right we've been doing it to babies for years.
But this is a slippery slope on more than one side though.
"Under the terms of an April 4 court order, La Grange cardiologists James Brennan and Thomas Gore, and Dr. Raed Aquel, of UAB Medical Center, Birmingham, are to evaluate Magouirk and decide what treatment would be best and where it should take place."
We don't want to start giving doctors the decision making power as to whether to keep us alive or not, or whether we have surgery or not. There will always be a family member who may object and want medical intervention when a loved one is slipping away.
My dad is 81, he needs a new heart valve, but he doesn't want to have surgery to repair it. He says he will continue to choose against surgery, take meds to try to control the problem. I wouldn't want a doctor to tell him he had to have the surgery.
We'd be in a situation like the movie "Coma."
They do have the means to keep you alive...it just shouldn't be the doctor's choice. Let the judges award custody to the other family members and then let them decide.
Giving someone food and water is not "keeping someone alive." We need to start understanding in these cases that the death crowd is feeding us a line. "Keeping someone alive" is a machine. Food and water is necessary to all of us.
I urge EVERYONE to wake up and realize that what is happening here in this country is what happened in nazi Germany. They called these people worthless eaters.
That is reasonable. Sounds like the Judge ruled correctly.
Gaddy has been taking care of her grandmother for 10 years, he said.
“They’re following the doctors’ recommendations and they want to do what’s in the best interests of their grandmother,” Daniel said, adding that hospice is providing “excellent care” for Magourik, a widow with no children.
****
Yeh right. "What’s in the best interests of their grandmother" and "excellent care for her" is no nourishment for her.
Unreal. More crime right under our noses, imo.
My, what a considerate granddaughter. (sarcasm off)
""To see that the ward [Magouirk] is adequately fed" --- I guess this part doesn't need to be followed. (sarcasm off)
I bet someone else thought of this during Schiavo, but regaredless, looking at our forum rules, you might find this interesting:
"Free Republic does not advocate violence..."
I'll be! It's against FR policy to side with death.
Interesting....
As was noted in another thread, little Miss Muffet granddaughter is the sole heir. MURDERING FOR $$$$$.
Very true. What is also missing is how she got to hospice. You can't just put someone in hospice care. They must be declared terminal by a doctor and be referred. The doctor's referral is essential for hospice to get paid by Medicare so I sort of doubt they would have her there without it.
The owner (Jim Robinson) was staunchly behind Terri, vehemently wanted to protect her, so I think , as you write, ""Free Republic does not advocate violence..." is true.
I think another thing people need to understand is that its our religious right to believe that miracles are possible. Unexplainable things happen all the time to even the most terminal of patients. So reality does back up our religious right to hope for a miracle.
This isn't even an example of that hope, since she reportely had a living will.
But, if we are hopeful that our loved ones will be one of those 25% or 5% who recover enough to be somewhat conscious, and we are willing to pay for their survival, our hope ought to be given serious consideration by the government, unless a living will opposes that hope. FReegards....
---- Candygram
This girl may go hide out with Michael Schiavo.
;-)
good question
As WND reported, Magouirk was neither terminally ill, comatose, nor in a persistent vegetative state, when Hospice-LaGrange, in LaGrange, Ga., accepted her as a patient upon the request of her granddaughter, Elizabeth ("Beth") Gaddy, 36, of Hoganville, Ga. Also upon Gaddy's request, the Hospice began withholding food and water from the patient.
When she learned of this, Magouirk's sister Lonnie Ruth Mullinax, 74, of Birmingham, and her brother, A.B. McLeod, 64, of Anniston, Ala., protested and attempted to have their sister removed from the hospice and transported to UAB Medical Center for treatment. However, Gaddy and her brother, Michael Shane Magouirk, obtained an emergency injunction from Troup County Probate Judge Douglas Boyd to prevent the planned air transport.
I just find it interesting. Our policy is about as reasonable as anyone would expect. But when extended to think of starving/dehydrating someone as violence, peoples' brains shut off. Morphine or not, a bullet to the head is less violent than this.
That is reasonable. Sounds like the Judge ruled correctly.
The nephew noted in an e-mail, after the order was handed down, that Mae's feeding tube and IV hydration were not in place. It isn't clear whether or not Mae can take food or water by mouth (IIRC, she couldn't when she was admitted to hospice, due to being in recovery from surgery, and probably can't now, due to an extended period of time on morphinne plus being dehydrated).
I would also expect that "adequately fed" is a legal term of art.
Following is the email message from Mae Magouirk's nephew Ken Mullinax sent to freeper Eeevil Conservative earlier this evening [April 7, I think]. Freepers have also spoken the the attorney representing Mrs. Magouirk's family who want her fed and hydrated. Check this thread. to confirm.http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1379537/posts?page=207#207 <-- LinkNothing is settled in this case until my Aunt Mae is given nourishment and fluids! This is far from settled and far from over. The doctors did not meet Monday...that is Bull! They finally spoke on Wednesday and again today AND STILL NOTHING IS SETTLED OR DECIDED BETWEEN THEM. Every day they vacillate, my Aunt Mae grows weaker and closer to death.
Just use the same maneuver used in Terri's case. Schedule natural death by dehydration, then move the patient.
I would think so
This case smells at least as bad as Terri's. This granddaughter may be silent for a good while, but if I were her, I'd say something publicly.
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