HARKONNENDOG

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Saturday, April 09, 2005

Terri Lives...

Well, no, she's dead. But the associations that sprang up to defend her did not go away when she died, and they MAY have saved someone else. The problem is the source of the story, WorldNetDaily. However, a local newspaper also picked up the story, and did not contradict WND, so I figure two sources are enough. Here's the story, in exerpts from the 3 WND articles written so far, emphasis MINE.

In a situation recalling the recent death of Terri Schiavo in Florida, an 81-year-old widow, denied nourishment and fluids for nearly two weeks, is clinging to life in a hospice in LaGrange, Ga., while her immediate family fights desperately to save her life before she dies of starvation and dehydration.

Mae Magouirk was not terminally ill, comatose nor in a "vegetative state," when Hospice-LaGrange accepted her as a patient about two weeks ago upon the request of her granddaughter, Beth Gaddy, 36, an elementary school teacher.
...

The compelling twist of this story is revealed in the next excerpt:
As WND reported, Magouirk was not terminally ill, comatose, nor in a persistent vegetative state, when Hospice-LaGrange, in LaGrange, Ga., accepted her as a patient upon the request of her granddaughter, Elizabeth ("Beth") Gaddy, 36, of Hoganville, Ga. Also upon Gaddy's request, the Hospice began withholding food and water from the patient.
...
In her living will, Magouirk stated that fluids and nourishment were to be withheld only if she were either comatose or "vegetative," and she is neither. Nor is she terminally ill, which is generally a requirement for admission to a hospice.
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Claiming that she held Magouirk's power of attorney, Gaddy had her transferred to Hospice-LaGrange, a 16-bed unit owned by the same family that owns the hospital. Once at the hospice, Gaddy stated that she did not want her grandmother fed or given water.

"Grandmama is old and I think it is time she went home to Jesus," Gaddy told Magouirk's brother and nephew, McLeod and Ken Mullinax. "She has glaucoma and now this heart problem, and who would want to live with disabilities like these?"
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Mullinax also states that Gaddy did not hold power of attorney, a fact he learned from the hospice's in-house legal counsel, Carol Todd.

At this point in the story you might think one of two things. Either A) They should feed and hydrate her until they are SURE she should be killed or B) They should kill her as quickly as possible for her dignity and to protect the Constitution or I don't know fill in your answer HERE. In Terri's case she was killed as quickly as possible.

This case was different:

This morning, Magourik's nephew Ken Mullinax, who had been fighting to have his aunt removed from Hospice-LaGrange in LaGrange, Ga., where, he said, she had not been properly fed or hydrated, contacted WorldNetDaily with this phone message:

Because of your articles and all of the friends of Terri, my Aunt Mae Magouirk is now in the University of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center and is receiving food, fluids, cardiac care and neurological help. We are overjoyed.

Praise be the name of the Lord, praise be all of the friends of Terri Schindler [Schiavo]. We could never have mobilized public sentiment and pressure on these people in LaGrange, Ga. – at Hospice, the LaGrange, Ga., doctors or the probate judge – unless the friends of Terri and the wonderful media of WorldNetDaily.com had become involved. Thank you all.


So Terri's death, and her parents' decision to fight tooth and nail, and the blogosphere's drive to publicize that case, may not have been in vain. There is an infrastructure dedicated to erring on the side of life in place now, ready to oppose the one that would err on the side of death.

Already I see some libertarian republicans arguing that the grand daughter was right and granny should have been wasted, but I think they'll be in the minority this time, given Granny's living will. Maybe not... The case is still developing. Still, the network dedicated to saving Terri (which I never really got tied into- I'm more about engaging those I oppose) remains, which is a good thing.

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