- Tirhas Habtegiris
Tirhas Habtegiris (
1978 -December 14 ,2005 ), a legal female immigrant into theUSA fromEritrea , was removed from arespirator against the wishes of her family, under aTexas law signed by then GovernorGeorge W. Bush . Habtegiris hadcancer that had spread to her lungs and she was diagnosed asterminally ill .There is debate over whether Habtegiris was
conscious and responsive when the respirator was removed. Her family claims that she was conscious and responsive and suffocated over the course of 16 minutes. The hospital claims that she had been unconscious and unresponsive since shortly after her admission, due to the large doses ofintravenous narcotics necessary to manage her pain.Under the Texas
Advance Directives Act (or Futile Care Law), a terminally ill patient can be removed, at the hospital's discretion, from life-sustaining treatment that "the attending physician has decided and the review process has affirmed is inappropriate treatment." (See §166.046 of the Texas Health and Safety Code.) In particular, it does not allow or even address withdrawing treatment simply because of inability to pay, contrary to erroneous media reports, some of which are referenced below.) The hospital claimed that financial considerations had nothing to do with the decision.A statement from the hospital indicates they offered to hire an immigration attorney to bring the woman's mother to her bedside so that she could die in her mother's arms, but the family said that the process in their home country would take too long.
ee also
*
Terri Schiavo
*Texas Futile Care Law References
* [http://www.baylorhealth.com/articles/habtegiris.htm Baylor Health Care System Media Statement on the Facts regarding Tirhas Habtegiris]
* [http://www.baylorhealth.com/articles/habtegiris/history.htm Baylor Health Tirhas Habtegiris Case: Medical History]
* [http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/HS/content/htm/hs.002.00.000166.00.htm#166.046.00 Texas Health & Safety Code §166.046]
*cite web|author=St. James, Janet|year=2005-12-14 |url=http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa051214_lj_african.bb0e76d.html
title=Woman's death highlights health insurance crisis|publisher=WFAA-TV|accessdate=2006-01-22
*cite web|author=Fink, Jack|year=2005-12-14 |url=http://cbs11tv.com/topstories/local_story_348124802.html|title=Family debates hospital's action in woman's death|publisher=CBS 11 News|accessdate=2006-01-22
*cite web|author=Landsburg, Steven E.|year=2006-01-03 |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2133518/fr/rss/|title=Do the poor deserve life support?|publisher=Slate|accessdate=2006-01-22
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