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NRL News
Fight for
Emilio Gonzales’s Life Continues Seventeen-month-old Emilio Gonzales received another reprieve April 10 when a Texas judge issued a temporary restraining order against Children’s Hospital of Austin, preventing doctors from withdrawing his life support until after a May 8 hearing, according to CNN. Emilio’s mother, Catarina Gonzales, has refused to consent to removal of his ventilator, insisting that she simply wants him to die naturally, not by a direct act of euthanasia. “I love my kid so much, I have to fight for him,” Gonzales told CNN. “That’s your job—you fight for your son or your daughter. You don’t let nobody push you around or make decisions for you.” Although tissue and bone testing have not yielded a definitive diagnosis, doctors at Children’s Hospital suspect Emilio has Leigh’s disease, a disorder of the central nervous system that causes deterioration in motor skills. He has been at the hospital since December, currently breathing with the help of a ventilator (through his mouth and throat) and receiving nutrition through a nasogastric feeding tube. Doctors determined that it is “medically futile” to continue treating Emilio, and originally scheduled removal of his ventilator for March 23, the Associated Press reported. While Gonzales said she knows her son is severely disabled, she disagrees with the hospital’s contention that Emilio is nonresponsive. “I put my finger in his hand, and I’m talking to him, and he’ll squeeze it,” she told CNN. “Then he’ll open his eyes and look at me.” Under Texas law, hospitals have the power to override the family’s objections and stop treatment if they consider it “inappropriate,” giving the family 10 days to find another facility to treat the patient, according to the Washington Post. Just days before the March 23 deadline, Children’s Hospital extended the date for the life support removal until April 11. Emilio received another reprieve April 10, when Travis County Probate Judge Guy Herman decided to give both sides more time to prepare for a full hearing, which is now scheduled for May 8, CNN reported. Emilio will continue to receive life-sustaining treatment while the court case continues. Gonzales is still searching for a facility that will admit Emilio, while pro-life groups seek to change the law to require hospitals to continue treating patients indefinitely until a transfer can be arranged. “Texas has the worst law in the country because the families have no recourse,” said Elizabeth Graham, director of Texas Right to Life. “In Texas, doctors only provide treatment for 10 days, and if it there’s no transfer, they pull the plug.” |