Posted on 03/21/2012 4:30:37 PM PDT by wagglebee
Texas Right to Life denounced the decision by physicians to allegedly eliminate hydration and feeding of a patient under their care in a Texas hospital. According to the group, the hospital has refused to allow the patient and his family to take him to a nearby hospice for care. A March 20 news release from Texas Right to Life, “Willie breathed on his own through the night, but he is being dehydrated and starved to death. Because he hasn’t been fed or watered, his heart rate is dangerously low. After he breathed steadily last night, the hospital discussed hospice with the family. Now however, the facility is waiting for his heart to give out since his heart rate has diminished and will not revisit hospice care.”
Furthermore, declared the group, “They are now actively killing him, more so than yesterday.” The statement came from Elizabeth Graham, the director of Texas Right to Life.
Texas Right to Life says that the patient is a man named William, who as yet has not been further identified. The group said the hospital is located in northwest Houston, which is not yet further identified. The statement said, “Willie breathed on his own through the night, but he is being dehydrated and starved to death. Because he hasn’t been fed or watered, his heart rate is dangerously low. After he breathed steadily last night, the hospital discussed hospice with the family. Now however, the facility is waiting for his heart to give out since his heart rate has diminished and will not revisit hospice care.
The statement continued, “They are now actively killing him, more so than yesterday.” The group alleged that the physicians “pulled the plug on a patient whose family called me at the 11th hour, pleading to me to save their father's life. Despite the family's desperation to save their father, and everything Texas Right to Life did for them, the hospital's death panel decided to proceed and kill him.”
Texas Right to Life says that the patient is suffering from leukaemia, complicated by pneumonia. Taken for emergency surgery, he told his daughter before being sedated, "Fight for me, baby; I ain't done living." The man’s family had medical power of attorney and instructed the medical staff to continue their father’s medical care and treatment.
However, according to the group, physicians at the hospital decided last week that the patient’s family should either take him to another hospital or they would suspend hydration and feeding.
Trusting that their father had adequate health insurance, they asked the social worker at the hospital to arrange for a transfer. However, as the deadline approached they were told that no other hospital in the area would accept him. The family determined that the social worker had described their father as “one who had no hope of meaningful recovery, one whose quality of life was gone, one with no dignity due to his illness and disability.” As of March 19, according to Texas Right to Life, hydration and other treatment had been removed, even while the patient is now breathing on his own and has adequate medical insurance. The patient has yet to be transferred to another hospital or to hospice care.
Info: TexasRightToLife.com
So, they think murdering him is somehow dignified? Disgusting.
I have personally witnessed this in a hospice situation. It is murder. Plain and simple.
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How is this not evil?
My family has too.
Sorry, FRiend. His children are IN medicine-related industries. I was ready to choke them. He wasn’t even allowed to go to his home and look everything over, the tress, furniture, even his pets. They didn’t even let him say goodbye.
The group said the hospital is located in northwest Houston, which is not yet further identified.
Anonymous physicians, social workers et al. IMHO, the Texas Right to Life org should not be making such releases with information that cannot be vetted, nor should it be posted here.
I'm not saying that the information is false. However, I am saying that it's vague in too many respects to be taken seriously in its current form.
I agree.
Unfortunately, HIPAA laws prevent allowing anyone access to personally identifiable medical information. The Right to Life group may have no legal option to give more info.
Hospital death panel trumps medical power of attorney
by Elizabeth Graham
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
I have devastating news.
Yesterday, I wrote you a message about Willie, a patient at a hospital in northwest Houston whose doctors decided that he should no longer have medical care despite the wishes of the patient and his family. Many of you have emailed and called me and offered to help Texas Right to Life and to help Willie’s family. For that, I am touched, and I thank you.
Late yesterday evening after I sent my email to you, I learned that Willie died.
The “ethics panel” at the facility decided, against the wishes of the family -- and the patient himself -- to stop medical treatment.
As you can imagine, I'm shocked, and his family is devastated about the way their father was treated, and ultimately killed, by so-called medical professionals.
I know you're shocked, too, because of the number of replies I've received from you, and people like you, offering prayers and support over the past 12 hours.
Many have asked me which medical facility where this happened but the family asked me not to reveal it at the moment.
Friend, we have a long road ahead of us to change how we care for the suffering and disabled.
Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray for Willie’s family and even the medical professionals who are trying to save lives.
I wanna know how it is legal?
If they want to kill him so badly, then why do it not in a humane way? Not even the condemned are executed like that.
Talking about cruel and unusual punishment.
the family should just take the patient out and bring him elsewhere, or take him home...get a court order if necessary....
but I suspect the family has been offered options yet refused....
This Texas right to life needs to do better than this.
Name names!
Which hospital and what doctors?!?!
I want names, emails, and phone numbers posted here to Free Republic for all to see.
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