KILLING ANDREA --RALLY HAS BEGUN!

[Th1onein]

I just wanted to let you guys know that people have begun gathering for the rally outside St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston. A local news station, Channel 26, is there right now, and we have heard from the Houston Chronicle that they will cover this, too.

Please, those of you who are internet savvy, post this to other blogs, so that we can get more people out there!

Thank you so much, DUers, for all of your help.

Melanie Childers

[msgadget]

1. Melanie

:hug:

[Ian David]

2. What's going on there? Another "Futile Care" case? n/t

[Th1onein]

5. Yes. St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston

is trying to pull the plug on my sister, Andrea Clark. She is fully cognizant and has told us that she does not want treatment withdrawn! We are protesting outside of the hospital in Houston right now. We need more people to join us!

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[wordpix2]

44. save the fetuses but kill cognitively aware patients in hospitals???

[file83]

47. Young fetuses are worth more in future gains to $Corporate Amerikkka.

This story upsets me so much - I hope that woman lives to confront the bastards that have condemned her to death.

[cantstandbush]

66. The MSM is virtually IGNORING this!!! I am pissed!!! n/t

[wcaryk]

64. possible to have the courts intervene?

According to the Wikipedia article on the Futile Care Law:

The party who disagrees may appeal to the relevant state court and
ask the judge to grant an extension of time before treatment is
withdrawn. This extension is to be granted only if the judge
determines that there is a reasonable likelihood of finding a
willing provider of the disputed treatment if more time is granted.

You are probably well aware of this, but if not, I hope this helps.

-- cary

[Tigress DEM]

68. Can an Honest Judge be FOUND in Texas?

I pray so.

[RoyGBiv]

6. Link ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=986779

[Crunchy Frog]

3. Good luck

and best wishes to your sister.:hug:

[Bush_MUST_Go]

9. That's great news, Melanie.

Hopefully the attention will force Houston to do the moral thing.

[goclark]

45. We'll keep this kicked so folks in the area

can come and support you and the family!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. I do hope this works for you

[Critters2]

7. All the best with this

That has got to be the most immoral law ever signed...and by our pro-life Pres, to boot!!

Good luck!!

[acmejack]

10. The best of luck to Andrea, You, and Your Family

[Bush_MUST_Go]

11. I wonder if there are any useful links at the Terri Schiavo site?

http://www.terrisfight.org/mainlinks.php?table=main_resource_center&id=94

[Erika]

12. The family doesn't have the $ so the patient is put to death?

And the wishes of the family are cast aside. How very sad. Good luck!

[Horse with no Name]

30. Not only the wishes of the family

But the wishes of the patient as well.
From what I understand, the patient has insurance.
However, my guess would be that the hospital has maxed it out and now they want to get rid of her so they don't have to spend any of their money.

[Darth_Kitten]

13. best of luck to you and your family!

:hug:

[blondeatlast]

14. Thank you for keeping us posted in the midst of your anguish.

Our hearts and prayers are absolutely with you.

God bless you. :hug:

[alfredo]

15. bush's futile care law

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/HS/content/htm/hs.002.00.000166.00.htm

[blondeatlast]

16. K to the top. nt

[Iowa]

17. Nominated and kicked

[Kali]

18. I sent a link to someone I know at the Pacifica station there

are they covering this?

[lostnfound]

40. They did a small blurb yesterday afternoon on KPFT local news

Usually on Saturdays it's only music though.

[WillyT]

19. K & R !!!

:mad::kick::mad:

[sojourner]

20. god this gov't is absolutely appalling.........

thanks for posting this...prayers for Andrea, you and yours as well. :hug:

[rman]

21. kick for support

[SeattleGirl]

22. My best thoughts and wishes for you, your sister, and your family

:hug:

[AuntiBush]

23. Godspeed.

[WiseButAngrySara]

24. Contact Frist and Bush! He came in from Crawford for Schiavo, and Frist

sold his soul as a physician and as a human. Logically, after the way they responded to a vegetable, they should be the first to respond to a human patient who can actually respond!

:sarcasm:

[babylonsister]

25. Just saw your story on Channel 11/CBS, Melanie, so the

word is definitely getting out there. :hug:

[blondeatlast]

34. That's good to hear for those of us remote from the situation.

Thanks for the update!

[JVS]

26. Best wishes!

[coffeenap]

27. kick

[JVS]

28. Has the Episcopalian Bishop of Houston been notified?

Can he or she stop this?

[QC]

54. Here's his contact info.

http://www.epicenter.org/edot/Bishop_Don_A_Wimberly.asp?SnID=1126361310

[blondeatlast]

29. K&R. nt

[PetraPooh]

31. Channel 26, the FOX channel, strange bedfellows.

[rucky]

32. Affils run pretty independently. n/t

[rucky]

33. Thanks for the update, Melanie!

This will help with what we've discussed.

[Lochloosa]

35. K/R

[samhsarah]

36. KICK!!! That's great news, Melanie!!!!!!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

37. K&R, Melanie. God, I hope this helps. n/t

[conflictgirl]

38. K&R! Thinking of you and your family.

Hope the media coverage will be useful.

[shance]

39. Please keep us posted when you can Melanie.

And take care in the meantime. You're making your sister proud and the word is getting out.

[nicknameless]

41. Praying that you and your sister get the assistance you need.

:hug:

K&R

[Oversea Visitor]

42. n/t

:kick:

[Hissyspit]

43. Would be there if I could.

Best wishes for you, Melanie.

[helderheid]

46. K & R - Melanie, please keep us posted - you're in my thoughts!

[DanCa]

48. Hang in there Melanie

I wish simple peace for your family. And I believe that the government has no right to make medical descions for anyone. :hug:

[ronnykmarshall]

49. You and you sister are in my thoughts.

:loveya:

Best of luck and love to you Mel.

[blondeatlast]

50. Let's kick this CRITICAL story every hour or so.

:kick:

[knitter4democracy]

51. I'm with you!

Kickin' to get it to Monday!

[knitter4democracy]

52. I hope more people showed up.

They were really worried about that. They're also worried about the story getting lost over the weekend.

[Oversea Visitor]

53. n/t

:kick:

[tsuki]

55. Kick. n/t

[progressivebydesign]

56. Kicking for Andrea, and Melanie. Have you contacted your local reps?

From what you posted before, the hospital will not allow Andrea to be moved, either? Have you contacted your local Senators, etc.?? Anyone running for re-election would be a GREAT choice to contact. I'm so unbelievably upset about this.. and have you and your family in my thoughts. :grouphug:

[rucky]

57. LINK to KHOU report:

http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou060423_ac_lifesupport.6341ba3c.html

VIDEO: http://www.khou.com/sharedcontent/VideoPlayer/videoPlayer.php?vidId=61206&catId=35

Melanie, is that you being interviewed? Well, whoever was in the cowboy hat did a great job!

PS: It also made in on a Pro-Life blog (used Google News). go figure.

[knitter4democracy]

58. The reporter hasn't read the law.

The hospital and attending physician are required by law to help with transferring the patient to another facility, which St. Luke's isn't doing in this case for some reason.

[knitter4democracy]

59. Update?

I haven't heard back yet from some people I talked with on Friday. I'm starting a round of calls. Is there any word on how things are going?

[myrna minx]

Kick.

K&R

[myrna minx]

60. Kick.

K&R

[cantstandbush]

61. Why isn't FOX covering this? No photo ops for Republicans?

Ethnicity of patient? Political affiliation of patient? What? Why isn't this all over the news 24/7?

[ulysses]

62. all best to you and your family.

:hug:

[knitter4democracy]

63. Just had a quick chat with Melanie

She didn't say how many showed up, but she did say it was smaller than they would've liked. The media was there, though, so that's good.

The thing that got to me is what she said next. She said that most of the people there were people who had lost family members and loved ones at that hospital--people who have had the same thing done to them in the same place. They'd head through the little bit that had gotten out beforehand and shown up to protest what had happened to them as well.

I told her to go after this hospital with everything they've got. They need to go after the hospital charter and the physicians' licenses. Violation of a major law like this advanced directive law usually puts a doctor's license at risk. They all need to go down, as far as I'm concerned. Horrible doctors like those guys don't deserve to practice.

[wcaryk]

65. could this be of use?

"knitter", I posted this elsewhere, but I don't
know that the sister will see it, and you apparently
know how to get in touch with her.

If she has a lawyer involved, doubtless she already
knows this. But if not, the Wikipedia article on
the Futile Care Law says:

The party who disagrees may appeal to the relevant state court and
ask the judge to grant an extension of time before treatment is
withdrawn. This extension is to be granted only if the judge
determines that there is a reasonable likelihood of finding a
willing provider of the disputed treatment if more time is granted.

Possibly they could use this to get an extension?

-- cary

[knitter4democracy]

67. It looks like you got through!

I'm so glad you found that. All I found is that they're violating the law in not helping transfer her. *sigh*

I'm calling more people tomorrow and will call Melanie tonight to get an update for the people I'm in contact with.

[Maddy McCall]

69. Please update as soon as you know something.

Thanks for all you are doing.

We really need a new thread so that we can recommend it and it will appear on the greatest page. A new thread every day or two, with links to older threads, so that this can stay on the greatest page.

So sorry for Melanie and her family. :(