Pregnant woman forced to stay on life support

The family of a pregnant woman wants a hospital in Texas to take her off life support. Ed Lavandera has the details.

[lisaa]

This is terrible. That woman is LEGALLY dead... And therefore cannot be considered to be on LIFE support. This is disgusting.

[proneblisters]

These comments here make me sick.  Is it really that hard to understand its a violation of human rights to not allow someone to die?  I feel bad for the family and for the baby thats going to grow inside a dead body for another 4 months.  All these people that are in favor for something this sick just need to take a second to put themselves into those shoes and understand that the reality is not that simple.

[ReliableInsider]

It's so cruel that Texas is delaying and delaying and delaying this when the husband speaking for his wife's best wishes has already made up his mind.  This is out-of-control right-wing Big Government. 

[SnowPink]

An article written says that the courts ordered the hospital to take the life-support off the patient and so they did so and then released the body to the husband. They found the baby was disfigured from the waist down and then it had some kind of illness and it's heart wasn't good. The foetus was 22 weeks old.

[patriciaalexander]

It's a sad and heartbreaking story. Prayers for the family.

[cynthiagomez]

JPS Is a horrible hospital to be at for any situation

[Maite_Lopez]

Saddest thing was the child died anyway

[kristine]

This is truly a sad case that demonstrates the complexities involved in surrogate decision making. According to Texas law, the priority of medical surrogate decision makers first falls to the spouse in the absence of legal documentation designating a specific person as the surrogate decision maker. One of the only limitations to this law is in case of pregnancy. It is easy to see the frustration that can arise from cases like this. On one hand, a woman may be given the right to choose whether or not she terminates a pregnancy, but then her wishes regarding her health are disregarded in situations like this. I cannot imagine how frustrating it is for the husband who knows what his wife’s wishes are, and yet he is unable to see them honored. One of the roles of doctors is to work with surrogate decision makers in making the best decision according to what the patient’s wishes were. Many times those wishes are not known, and even if they are, it can be complicated in cases like this that involve pregnancy. How often do couples discuss end of life wishes, let alone end of life wishes in unique situations such as when pregnancy is also a factor? And even if these discussions do include many different scenarios, there may still be laws that stand in the way, such as in this situation. I can also see the struggle from the side of the doctors who are faced with these laws and decisions every day. When a doctor enters the profession, they are committing themselves to the principle of non-malfeasance, which obliges them to abstain from causing harm to others. Many could approach situations like this with the viewpoint that by removing life support, they would be causing harm to the unborn child. There are certainly no black and white answers for situations like this, and my heart goes out to families going through these struggles.

[perfectfae]

I'm pregnant & it scares me that I can become brain dead & someone can just decide to kill my unborn baby.

[yandibreaux]

Why doesn't the father want his wife's fetus to complete its development and reach birth. If there is a chance that the unborn child can have a life why not take a chance? If the mother had enough time to make that decision I'm sure she would allow for the baby to be born. Only thing she agree to was not to be keep on life support as an individual person, I'm doubtful that meant if she was pregnant the situation remains unchanged. With a child comes a heavy factor which DOES change everything! Thats just my opinion.

[shanelllaneice]

Why he wanna kill his baby? I know he and his wife had a plan but did they ever think of this scenario? This is too sad.

[rebeccabonaparte]

I think they are just looking for a reason to sue - them trying to save the baby was not a bad choice.

[sanforce]

lol good. I'm sorry that she had a medical issue, but if modern medicine can keep their child alive ... go for it!

[TheJtjensen]

pleas let the child have a chance, i will take it as my ovne child, iff ned be, and rasie it as my own.
if a doctor can sawe a life he is obliged to do so.

[bethwilliam]

They thought of the child too that little baby that person in them they're right to choose a precious gift was okay there's nothing wrong with this the little baby was born that little life the child mom scoops alternatives and love and hope with the family members and peace they seem life and before people were educated about abortion and seeing the truth they wouldn't protect it the precious gift was born a miracle not a problem because everybody was little mom's group boys and girls club optionline Care net leave them someplace safe counselors support groups therapy outpatient behavioral health at a hospital emergency foster care Lutheran social services if a woman has preeclampsia in high blood pressure she can make it through the pregnancy and when men will be someone else's child she gave life to the baby and she had it abused and hurt leave and get help there's alternatives and love and helps precious life was born they seem life get educated before abortion see the truth the baby was born a precious gift not a problem because there's a resources online housing resources food stamps shelters everything's online for pregnant women and pro-life people can give them everything cuz we're winning the battle and 30 month investigations done in every single abortion clinic a man just took all the videos Medicaid knows that the insurance company now federal court what they do to The unborn child it's brutal brutal brutal and violent against them there's alternatives if they told him the truth they wouldn't do it life