Baby Emilio Dies
While I was in Europe, Baby Emilio Gonzales died. The case stimulated much discussion of Futile Care Theory, in which Texas law allows ethics committees to refuse wanted life-sustaining treatment--not because the treatment won't extend life but because it will. The Texas Legislature is in the process of amending the law, but as I will write later, it looks like it is going to punt rather than really prevent people from being forced to die for want of desired medical treatment.
Labels: Baby Emilio. Futile Care Theory.
posted by Wesley J. Smith @ 8:01 AM
3 Comments
3 Comments:
Luckily, SB 439 died. No compromise or work on that bill could have fashioned it into something acceptable.
We must become a treat pending transfer state. Period.
On another note, I attended the funeral yesterday. I've never seen two men on the cloth stick it to a grieving mother they way they did with the eulogy/homily. I was nausiated.
Well, looks like this fight is just begining...
What did they say?
It was very vieled, and therefore difficult to articulate via type, but the tone wasessentially was a "we told you so." To which I thought, "We never denied that Emilio was sick. We simply opposed you hastening his death." If I try to explain something that was implied via type, I risk looking foolish. But I'll attempt nonetheless:
I remember the priest saying, "God is the only creator of life. God creates life and..." Of course, you assume that the rest of this phrase is "God takes it away." Instead the priest concluded with, "we can't always prevent death." I took this as the priest saying, "Even your insistence on extraordinary measures couldn't save your baby- We were right all along." Then the Bishop sent a Msgr. in his stead, beause he was in Rome, and the Msgr. explained that "we have been praying for you for months, not a meeting has gone by where the Bishop hasn't prayed for you and Emilio by name." God forgive me if I am wrong, but I thought, "Of course you mentioned them by name. You were drafting letters and attempting to obtain Bishop consensus to end Emilio's life, actively testifying against them and keeping Catarina in a court room instead of in the hospital room comforting her sick baby." He continued with explaining that the Bishop was offering masses, etc. for Emilio while in Rome, to which I thought, "And you think that compensates for attempting to steal 6 months of that baby's already short life?" The priest also lauded those that had helped Emilio during his short life; "his family, friends, the staff at Brackenridge." It was then that my face fell, remembering the hellacious fight against Brackenridge to get Emilio a trach to transfer him, and when that was refused, the fight to get them to continue any medical care. Then again, I recognize that I might be overly sensitive to the words that were spoken. I hope I am.
The whole thing seemed to me like both an attempt to save face, reinforce their political bent, and, sadly, stick it to a grieving mother, not vindictively, but tactlessly and condascendingly. I hope, hope, beyond hope that I am wrong.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home