Friday, April 08, 2005

Another Case of Medical Starvation

Here we have Mae Magouirk of LaGrange, Georgia. Miss Mae is 81 years old and was placed in a hospice by her granddaughter, Beth Gaddy.

Miss Mae has a Living Will that says to withhold nutrition and hydration only if she comatose or vegetative. She is neither. Granddaughter Beth claimed that she held power of attorney for grandma. Turns out, she doesn't. Under Georgia law if there is no power of attorney specifying a health care decision maker, such authority is given to the closest living relatives. Miss Mae has a living brother and sister who are capable of making decisions. Ms. Gaddy got an emergency appointment as guardian from Donald Boyd, the probate judge, who may or may not be an attorney. The order gave Ms. Gaddy the power to withhold nutrition and hydration which is clearly contrary to Miss Mae's wishes.

While there are obvious similarities between Miss Mae and Terri Schiavo, there is one major difference. Miss Mae has a Living Will. Granddaughter Gaddy, for some reason, overrode Granny's wishes, moved her to a hospice, got guardianship, and ordered nutrition and hydration withdrawn. A Probate Court judge gave Ms. Gaddy guardianship that should have gone to closer relatives.

According to Kenneth Mullinax, Miss Mae's nephew, Ms. Gaddy has no bad intentions and is just misguided and mistaken. She's prayed over Miss Mae and decided that it's Miss Mae's "time for her to go." Whether it means anything, It also appears that Ms. Gaddy is Miss Mae's sole beneficiary. I have no idea what that means. Does Ms. Gaddy get the porcelain plates depicting Elvis or is there serious money and or property involved. I'm not saying she wants her inheritance, but being sole beneficiary rings some bells.

I had doubts about the situation with Terri; I have no doubts here. Miss Mae's wishes were clear and written, the probate judge was wrong, and the feeding and hydration should be reinstated. Let's see if the media, Randall Terry, Jesse Jackson, and the "right to life" protestors show up to make Miss Mae their cause of the week. I might sound a bit snarky, but this time, they have a real cause to hang their hats on.

More here, here, here, here, and here.

No comments: