Two distressing phone calls today. One from the niece of an elderly woman who is in the hospital following an injury. She has slight dementia, but is able to communicate. The hospital decided it would no longer treat her, as care was “futile” because of the woman’s dementia. The woman’s niece tried to get a court order to keep her aunt alive, but the judge refused–and slandered the niece’s Catholic faith in the process. Today the hospital withdrew food and hydration from the woman.
Did you know that dementia is considered a terminal illness? And that food and hydration are considered “medical care” that can be withdrawn if a physician believes your condition won’t improve over time? In this case, the woman’s dementia is not severe–she still recognizes her niece and the hospital staff–yet because it will likely not get better, her doctors sentenced her to an agonizing death.
The second call was from the close friend of a 30 year old woman who suffered a brain injury after she went into cardiac arrest. She is in a hospice facility that is not giving her any nutrition. Over the past few days, she started talking–she said that she is hungry and is asking for food. She is able to pull herself up and move her legs. She sings along to her favorite songs. Yet, the hospice refuses to feed her and is now giving her morphine because she tried to get out of bed.
This is attempted MURDER. We have calls out to local attorneys to help this young woman. Please pray that someone will be able to intervene tomorrow!