MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

St. Luke’s Hospital Welches on Andrea Clark

• Posted by Beth on April 28th, 2006 filed in General, Pro-Life    

Just posted at Right Wing News:

I’ve just spoken with Andrea’s sisters, Melanie Childers and Lanore Dixon today, as well as Andrea’s lawyer, Jerri Ward.

Unfortunately, St. Luke’s has reneged on the deal. Lanore told me that about 20 minutes before Andrea was supposed to be moved to the Illinois facility, St. Luke’s told the family the move was off. It seems that St. Luke’s decided at the last minute that Glenshire Nursing & Rehab Centre in Illinois isn’t equipped to care for Andrea, which is a bit puzzling, since Lanore told me they helped set up the transfer in the first place.

This means that Andrea’s life is still in danger. Jerri tells me that the hospital has only promised, in writing, to not pull the plug on Andrea on Sat, Sun, or Mon. But, from Tuesday on, they’re reserving the right to pull her life support at any time after giving “reasonable” notice to the family. What is “reasonable” notice that you’re about end an innocent woman’s life against her wishes and the wishes of her family?

In any case, on Tuesday, the hospital has a meeting scheduled about Andrea and the one sliver of good news is that the family says they have a doctor with privileges at St. Luke’s who is willing to go in and argue that Melanie is not medically futile. Whether that will make a difference is impossible to say at this point.

The bottom line here is that according to Andrea Clark’s family, St. Luke’s has not lived up to their end of the bargain and has only agreed in writing to extend Andrea’s life one day beyond the old deadline of Sunday.

CALL THE HOSPITAL. The pressure had an effect before–we CAN NOT LET UP.

CALL 1-832-355-1000

I just called and had to leave a message with Media Relations, and you may too. But PLEASE
call! And remember, you draw more flies with honey, etc.

I’ll update this as more information comes in.

See also: Pro-Life Blogs

UPDATE 1: Just got a letter from Andrea Clark’s other sister, Lanore Dixon:

This afternoon, twenty minutes before Andrea was due to be transported by ambulance to the airport, her doctor (or rather, the one filling in for her doctor who has gone on vacation this week–how VERY convenient!) came into her room and informed me she would not be transferred to the Chicago facility after all. After questioning the doctor I learned that someone messed up–I don’t know which end the foul up occurred, but this all goes to show the danger of being forced to choose a healthcare facility due to pressure of an ethics committee ruling… This so called LTAC was nothing more than a nursing home with dialysis machine in the basement. They had no ability to administer the medications Andrea requires.

Somehow, the blogosphere knew about the inadequacy of the LTAC before either the family or the hospital did–probably due to me posting the new mailing address where Andrea can recieve cards and letters. Don’t use the Illinois address, folks!

While we’re grateful that St. Luke’s halted the transfer before Andrea was moved, I cannot tell you the stress this has put on our family. We are exhausted from this effort, but we will continue to fight for our sister.

St. Luke’s has agreed not to pull Andrea’s life support at least until Tuesday. On Tuesday, a committee of doctors from St. Luke’s will meet to discuss how to proceed with Andrea’s case. Andrea’s new doctor–a doctor who shares our values about the sacredness of life–will take over her care on Tuesday and will fight for her right to live. Let us all hope and pray that the committee meeting on Tuesday is chaired by doctors who have a reverence for life and not a former abortionist like the St. Luke’s ethics committee chair.

Please pass this info on. I’m sending it to a few prolife blogs, but I’m using the computer in patient services and don’t have much time.

Thanks,
Lanore Dixon

WOW. This sucks. I’m glad they’ve got a new doctor that’s on their side, though; very glad. Still, I’m pretty near speechless at the turn of events today. I cannot BELIEVE this bureaucratic crap! Bureaucracy screwing up hospital bills is one thing, but someone’s LIFE?

Don’t let them off the hook, y’all– 1-832-355-100. Call them!

Tags: Andrea Clark, Andrea Clarke, euthanasia, futile care, right to life, bioethics