Another UK Hospital: NO to Baby Transfer + End Life Support

By Wesley J. Smith Readers here may recall the infamous Charlie Gard case earlier this year. Charlie was a terminally ill baby with a progressive and terminal genetic disease. Charlie’s parents wanted to take their boy to a specialist in the US, but was refused permission by the hospital, later supported by a judge. Further, …

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Some Canadian doctors are refusing to treat attempted suicides

By Michael Cook Canada’s new euthanasia laws are perplexing doctors who have to deal with suicide attempts. According to the National Post , there have been a number of reports of doctors who refused to treat people who had tried to kill themselves. In the case of poisons, remedies were readily available. Quebec’s College of …

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“Life should be considered the core question, not its predicted quality”

By Wesley J. Smith I can’t tell you how many times I have been called by desperate people fighting hospitals and doctors not to give up on their desperately ill or injured loved ones. Sometimes the cases seem beyond effective remedy. But sometimes, it does seem as doctors or bioethicists want to give up because …

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Pro-life doctors & nurses groups endorse Kansas’ Simon’s Law

By Kathy Ostrowski, Legislative Director, Kansans for Life Pro-lifers across the nation have been reading our series of articles on the “Faces & Facts of Simon’s Law,” and are urging Kansas to protect children and empower parents by enacting this vital measure. Parents are stunned to learn that a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) or DNAR …

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Chairman of Special Olympics charges discrimination in hospital decision to take little girl off transplant waiting list

By Dave Andrusko I wondered when, or if, the unnamed hospital would respond to Timothy P. Shriver ‘s angry op-ed posted Sunday in the Washington Post, “Put Lily back on the heart transplant list.” (The hospital turned out to be Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, in Loma Linda, California.) Shriver is the chairman of the …

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The Faces & Facts behind Simon’s Law: Megan

By Kathy Ostrowski, Legislative Director, Kansans for Life Simon’s Law, Kansas Senate Bill 437, would require parent permission before a minor is coded as a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) and would also require hospitals and other medical facilities, upon request, to disclose any existent “futility” policies. (See more here.) This is the latest in a series from …

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Eleven years ago today Terri Schiavo died after 13 days without food and water

By Dave Andrusko Today marks the eleventh anniversary of the grotesque death by starvation and dehydration of Terri Schindler Schiavo. Her courageous brother wrote today “The inhumanity of what happened to her will never be forgotten.” And, yet, I suspect, for many pro-lifers, especially those new to our Movement, Terri’s name is only a vague …

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Attorneys representing Chris Dunn contest Methodist Hospital’s attempt to seize guardianship

By Texas Right to Life Houston, Texas– December 10, 2015: Yesterday, the attorneys representing Evelyn Kelly contested Methodist Hospital’s application for custodial guardianship of Evelyn’s adult son, Chris Dunn. Chris is currently fighting for his life in Houston Methodist Hospital. His mother, Evelyn, is his Medical Power of Attorney and trying to ensure that Chris …

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A “landmark victory”? Patient must be consulted before DNR notice is placed on chart!

  By Wesley J. Smith This is pretty bad when it is considered a landmark victory! A court in the UK has ruled that competent patients have the right to be “told” when they are going to be denied CPR. From the Cambridge News story: The Court of Appeal has ruled the human rights of …

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Oklahoma Passes Protective Law to Lessen the Growing Problem of Denial of Treatment Against the Wishes of the Patient

  By Jennifer Popik, JD, Robert Powell Center for Medical Ethics On March 10, 2014, the Oklahoma House and Senate, on near unanimous votes, approved the Medical Treatment Laws Information Act, which is designed to protect patients from denial of life-preserving care caused by a health-care provider’s lack of awareness of Oklahoma’s existing protective laws. …

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