Brain Dead Pregnant Woman Taken Off Life Support
A long and painful court battle has ended peacefully after a brain dead pregnant woman was taken off life support. Her family is now preparing for her burial.
Texas was put in the spotlight late last year after a pregnant Fort Worth woman, Marlise Munoz, was pronounced brain dead. Her family wanted to grant her last wish and take her off life support, but John Peter Smith Hospital forced her to stay on life support because of the unborn fetus.
Munoz was 14 weeks pregnant when her husband found her unconscious suffering from a pulmonary embolism. She was rushed to the hospital where doctors pronounced her brain dead.
Her family accepted the news and were ready to lay her to rest, but the hospital didn't allow it. They stated that Texas law says life-sustaining treatment cannot be withdrawn from a pregnant patient, regardless of her end-of-life wishes.
The Munoz family then sued the hospital. After weeks of battle in court, the family finally got their wish. On Friday, State District Judge R.H. Wallace ruled that the hospital remove Munoz from life support. He said that the hospital misapplied a state law and that the law did not apply because she was already declared legally dead.
The hospital did not fight the ruling and Sunday at around 11:30 am Marlise was taken off life support. The fetus was not delivered.
There is no word if the Texas law will be rewritten or a new law to be passed.
The Munoz family is now planning a funeral for Marlise and the unborn fetus.
More From KISS FM 96.9
