In a case reminiscent of the Terri Schiavo story, a brain-injured 23-year-old Delaware mother has been placed in the custody of a parent who wants to remove her feeding tube.
Lauren Richardson was pregnant when she overdosed on heroin. She was placed on a breathing machine until the baby was delivered, one year ago.
Lauren’s father, Randy Richardson, is leading the drive to keep her alive. She is breathing on her own, and he said she is aware of her surroundings, moves and feels pain.
“He feels hopeful she will improve with the right therapy," said Nicole Theis, president of the Delaware Family Policy Council. "The father wishes to move her into his own home and take care of her.”
But a Delaware Court has given custody to Lauren’s mother, Edith Towers, who said her daughter once told her she did not want to live in an incapacitated state. A court ruling could be 90 days away; in the meantime, the feeding tube could be pulled.
Carrie Gordon Earll, senior bioethics analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said the case is a warning to us all.
“Talk to your parents, your spouse, your children, to the people who are closest to you," she said. "Talk to the people who might be making a decision for you, if something tragic would happen."
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