ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney has secured an agreement to keep a hospitalized patient’s feeding tubes in place to preserve her life.
“No one should be allowed to decide that an innocent life is worthless,” said ADF-allied attorney Kenneth Kirk. “We regret the tragic events that have befallen this woman and are pleased to have been able to help her husband protect her life. He should have been able to see that his wife was cared for without having to fight hospital staff who wanted to starve her to death.”
On May 16, the patient’s husband filed the suit P.C. v. K. against the hospital and a doctor in order to keep the medical staff from removing his wife’s life support, which would have terminated her life. Kirk subsequently filed a motion for stay on the husband’s behalf to keep the hospital from doing so.
The motion was granted, and the Alaska Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order on May 30 prohibiting the hospital from discontinuing life support pending appeal and further order of the court (www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=4544). The hospital then determined that it would remove her feeding tube instead, which would have caused the woman to starve to death.
Following additional proceedings and efforts by Kirk, the hospital changed positions and will now allow continuation of the patient’s nutrition, hydration, and pain treatment.
“Hospitals should be in the business of preserving life rather than willfully destroying it,” said ADF Senior Counsel Joe Infranco. “A man is caring for the wife he loves. A hospital should be working with him, not against him--giving every benefit of the doubt regarding life.”
The patient is now receiving care in an Anchorage nursing home.
ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.
www.telladf.org