Futile care law changed- UPDATE

Efforts in the Texas legislature to extend deadlines accompanying the futile care law failed when the House did not act to pass the bill this week.

UPDATE: A bill passed the Texas Senate unanimously that would "extend the initial notification period to five days, and would give families a minimum of 21 days to look for a transfer to another hospital after the ethics committees' decision. The measure would also prevent hospitals from using the law on patients whose only life-sustaining treatment is artificial hydration and nutrition."

Via Inclusion Daily News

Hearing for baby Emilio postponed until May 8

Attorneys for the child's mother now have more time to try to find another hospital to take the child after a court postponed the hearing on the futile care law case from April 19 until May 8. Click above to read the article.

Judge sets hearing, orders baby Emilio be kept on life support

"Probate Judge Guy Herman set a hearing for April 19 for both sides to present evidence in the case of 17-month-old Emilio Gonzales.

Children's Hospital of Austin has been caring for Emilio since December and says the effort is futile and the child is suffering without medical benefit. It invoked a state law that allows hospitals to end life-sustaining treatment in such cases with 10 days notice to the family."

Via Houston Chronicle

Petition for Emilio

I am reposting the link to the petition for Emilio Gonzales in Texas , a 16 month old boy who is believed to have Leigh's disease. He is not dying. However doctors have determined under the futile care law that his plug should be pulled. To read more about the futile care law, please click on the label at the bottom of this post. If a hospital cannot be found by Tuesday, April 10, the plug will be pulled on Emilio , he will be taken off his respirator and he will die - against the wishes of his mother under the Futile Care Law.

The petition reads:
"It is not the severity of Emilio's illness that is at issue here. Rather, we are opposed to the state-sanctioned removal of Emilio's life support and the violation of his human and civil rights and protections. We also join his mother, Catarina Gonzales, in her condemnation of doctors "godlike position," and believe her fight for the right of Emilio to live is life-sustaining and life-affirmative. Counter to the perspective of doctors, we do not believe it is undignifying to be on life support. "

Please take a moment to read and sign the online petition to show your
support for Emilio and his mother, Caterina Gonzales. The petition and
signatures will be forwarded to Texas Governor Perry's office.

Disability Rights advocates work to save Baby Emilio

Groups such as Not Dead Yet, ADAPT, the Feminist Response in Disability Activism, and individual advocates are working to keep doctors from pulling the plug on Baby Emilio, a toddler with disabilities in Texas who has been declared as "futile" under the Futile Care Law. Under the Futile Care Law, physicians must give only 10 days notice before they withdraw treatment if further care is deemed medically futile, even over the wishes of the patient and family. The ethics committee at the hospital, which has been given this Ultimate Authority, has deigned to allow the child's family until April 10 to find a hospital or doctor to care for him before they pull the plug.

This would be done AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE CHILD'S OWN FAMILY, who want him to be kept alive.

Meanwhile there is a bill pending in the Texas legislature which would prevent hospitals from doing this until the family has had time to find another hospital to care for the child.

I will post the petition again on my blog. We only have 300 people and organizations who have signed this.

Anyone else believe in the value of the life of a toddler with disabilities and/or the right of his parents to make the decision?


Via Inclusion News Daily