It's Happening Again: Georgia Woman Being Starved and Dehydrated

Thrown Back ^ | 4/07/2005 | Fr. Rob Johansen

[sionnsar]

It's Happening Again:

Georgia Woman Being Starved and Dehydrated

85 year-old Mae Margourik of LaGrange, Georgia, is currently being deprived of nutrition and hydration at the request of her granddaughter, Beth Gaddy. Mrs. Margourik suffered an aortic dissection 2 weeks ago and was hospitalized. Though her doctors have said that she is not terminally ill, Ms. Gaddy declared that she held medical power of attorney for Mae, and had her transferred to the LaGrange Hospice. Later investigation revealed that Ms. Gaddy did not in fact have such power of attorney. Furthermore, Mae's Living Will provides that nutrition and hydration are to be withheld only if she is comatose or vegetative. Mae is in neither condition. Neither is her condition terminal.

Furthermore, under Georgia law, if there is no power of attorney specifying a health care decisionmaker, such authority is given to the closest living relatives. Mae's brother, A. B. McLeod, and sister, Lonnie Ruth Mullinax, are both still alive and capable of making such decisions. They opposed Mae's transfer to hospice, and are fighting to save her life. But in spite of the lack of a power of attorney, and the fact that there are closer living relatives who should be given precedence by Georgia law, Ms. Gaddy sought an emergency appointment as guardian from the local probate court. The probate judge, Donald Boyd (who, I am told, is not an attorney and does not have a law degree), granted Gaddy's request, thereby giving her the power to starve and dehydrate Margourik to death, though such an action is contrary to the provisions of the living will.

I have spoken to Kenneth Mullinax, Mae's nephew, and he has confirmed all the above. He also tells me that he believes that Ms. Gaddy has no bad motives, but is simply misguided and mistaken. Mullinax said that Ms. Gaddy has testified in court that she has "prayed over" Mae, and is convinced that it is "time for her to go". Whether the fact is relevant or not remains to be seen, but apparently Ms. Gaddy is also the sole beneficiary of Mae's will.

Kenneth has told me that they need help in getting the word out, and bringing Mae's case to the media's attention. Given the amount of coverage of the Holy Father's death, that may be difficult. But we have to raise the visibility of this case. They have another hearing coming up, and Kenneth indicated that they also may need expert assistance, both legal and medical.

The similarities of Mae Margourik's situation and Terri Schiavo's are obvious: Once again we have a family divided over what care should be given to a seriously ill relative. And once again, we have a judge playing God with someone's life. But what is different, and in a sense worse, is that Mae is being deprived of food and water in clear contravention of her own stated wishes, and at the request of someone who should have no standing under Georgia law.

More information is available at Blogs For Terri. If you want to contact Kenneth Mullinax to get more information or to offer help, you may e-mail him at mockingbird@compuhelp.net.

[sionnsar]

[Caveat: I know nothing of this case other than what you have before you. --sionnsar]

[RedBloodedAmerican]

It's Happening Again (We've Got Another Schiavo, Starving In GA, No Brain-Damage) ^

Posted by schmelvin On General/Chat ^ 04/07/2005 5:59:57 AM EDT · 315 replies · 4,124+ views Media Release | 4-6-05 | The Family of Mae Magouirk 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...

[SE Mom]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1379537/posts

[sionnsar]

My bad. Posted under different titles.

A.M., your call: to pull or not to pull, that is the question...

[SE Mom]

I wasn't complaining- just wanted you to see the other info on it:)

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Me either; only posting additional info on it. I don't think any of them are indentical that I saw

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I wasnt complaining; its additional info. Its not identical I dont think.

[SE Mom]

I'm trying to do some reasearch on this- nothing much so far...

[BlackVeil]

Whether the fact is relevant or not remains to be seen, but apparently Ms. Gaddy is also the sole beneficiary of Mae's will.

Really? You don't say?

[housewife101]

THis is why Rush said no one in his will gets to make decisions regarding his life...it appears however that, as I suspected, written directives,etc. may be junk...

[Aussie Dasher]

If it's true, what's being done to protect this woman?

[redgolum]

Less then two weeks, and now it is becoming policy.

And the slope gets steeper.

[asformeandformyhouse]

it appears however that, as I suspected, written directives,etc. may be junk...

I've worked in the healthcare industry for over 20 years. Written directives are very often ignored and have little force in the courts. Each case is separate of course, and as they say, your mileage may vary, but this has been my experience. Appointing someone you can trust who is not a beneficiary in the will is not a bad idea.

[housewife101]

THat is what I thought. I have e-mailed my local representative to find out what the laws are here in Oklahoma. She mentioned getting a written directive, but I really think they are useless.

The law here in Oklahoma states that a feeding tube cannot be pulled if it is going to result in dying from starvation and dehydration and not a terminal illness. It can happen if you have a written directive.

I have heard of too many cases where written directives weren't followed. Not sure they are worth the paper they are written on. Your experience confirms this for me. Thanks

[LaGrangeResident]

I happen to know the people involved....this is totally bogus. Nobody knows the details of the story. Ms. Gaddy is a very nice woman who loves her grandmother very much and has been caring for her, (along with her mom, sister, and brother), for over ten years. There is no need in anyone trying to compare this to Terri Schivao in any way. The lady who is in hospice is 81, she has slowly been deteriorating since the death of her husband almost if not over a decade ago. LaGrange Hospice is a very nice place, and as we all know, it is designed to make you feel more at home in your last moments here. Ms. Magouirks' nephew, is trying to media attention. As long as I have known them, over 23 years, Never have I heard of any of them traveling down here to care for her. Ms. Magouirk is not eating, because she doesn't want to. Ms. Gaddy is a very christian person who is just doing what the doctors have advised. All I ask is that you look into the facts instead of listening to what someone says, just trying to make something a national headline. In the LaGrange Daily News, www.lagrangenews.com , Mr. Mullinex states:

“She (Gaddy) said, ‘I think it’s time she (her grandmother) goes home to Jesus, that’s she’s too sick and would not have a good quality of life,” Kenneth Mullinax said.
His complaints have been posted on Internet Web logs that have been in overdrive since the Terri Schiavo case.
“All of the Terri Schiavo people have come to our rescue,” Mullinax said. “This thing’s going national.”

He is more interested in the fame than her actual well being. He even admits in the article that Ms. Gaddy has the best interests at heart. People are going to think what they want and people are going to judge, even though it is not their place to.

In retrospect to the Schivao case...all I have to say is...all of these christian people posting rewards for the murder of Micheal Schivao: You need to read your Bible again, because if he was murdering his wife, then what do you call what they were trying to do to him???????

[sionnsar]

Welcome to Free Republic. Thanks for the update.

[LaGrangeResident]

Thanks, I am not trying to be pushy or a know it all, but it angers me so to se this being blown well out of its boundaries.

[bonfire]

Welcome. I doubt your post will stop any of the hysterics here, but thanks for trying to set the record straight.

[sionnsar]

May I suggest, then, that you click on through to Blown Back and comment there? That's getting references from a number of blogs.

[nellutgen]

The real issue is: does her living read as they say? We just had a woman dehydrated on hearsay, are we dehydrating Mae against her living will......is all this just up to what the judges feel like doing?