What Do You Think Should Happen?

This shouldn't even be an issue. The W. had clearly expressed her wishes to her husband and parents. They are standing united on this issue. Also, not know how long she was without oxygen, and the long lasting problems the baby will have if it makes it at all. The state should have no say in the matter. So sad that the family isn't allowed to do the right thing per her wishes.

I think that they should allow the family to remove life support, per the W.'s wishes. Several reasons (in no particular order):
1. Life support is ridiculously expensive and this W. has no chance of recovering
2. The fetus is not yet viable on its own and won't be for at least 10 weeks, and even then would be dangerously small. So, you'd realistically need to keep this W. on life support for 20+ weeks - imagine the expense and the heartbreak for the family.
3. The doctors aren't able do determine how the lack of oxygen affected the baby. There is a good chance that the baby already has severe brain damage. Imagine the pain of going through all of this, only to have her deliver a baby that is severely disabled
4. In addition to the costs of life support, imagine the costs in the NICU - which the baby would likely need - and potential for ongoing medical needs througout the child's life

If the W. were past 25 weeks, I can understand their being an argument to keep her on life support. Even then though, the issue of brain damage to the baby needs to be considered.

The situation is horrible no matter how you look at it. The family should have the right to end this W.'s life - per her wishes - and terminate the pregnancy as a result. At 14 weeks, abortion is still legal, so they shouldn't be forced to keep the baby. They are heartbroken over the loss of wife/mother/baby and now have to deal with all of this as well. The state has no place getting involved.

It should be up to the family. I will never understand why anti-big government states like Texas think it's OK to dictate matters of the body.

Honestly, if I were the W. in question, I would want my Do Not Resuscitate directive honored.

If I were a husband, I would be having to deal with grieving the (inevitable, prolonged) loss of my wife as well as the high likelihood of raising a very impacted special needs child alone. If I were the father, I would not want this decision forced upon me. Now that there is media coverage, his actions as a parent will also be scrutinized.

This overreach and disgusting lack of any sensitivity for the members involved is abhorrent. Yes, if I were the surviving family, I would fight this. If the baby were removed and were able to survive on its own, what a gift. But considering the placenta is likely not fully functioning, this is one of those cases where a uninvolved party is calling the shots when it simply shouldn't. This is a case where cruelty is being done to the family on religious principle, and it simply isn't right.

While this is a tragic situation, the state needs to butt the hell out and honor the W.'s DNR and living will. That's WHY she had it set up to begin with.

The State should have no say in this at all!
This decision should be made by the family and no one else.
It's not an easy choice to make. Neither is getting an abortion, or carrying to term and adopting.
There are so very many "what ifs". I don't know if there are any kinds of tests that can be run on the fetus to look for any possible problems as a result of this. I highly doubt there is any way to know what the outcome will be until either the fetus dies in utero or is delivered at whatever point that happens.
If the state of Texas is going to force this than they should pay every single dime of the bill to keep the women alive and should pay for any care the child may need after birth if it is born with complications. The family should be 100% not liable for any expense for something they are being forced in to unjustly.

Edit to add; I find it interesting that a couple answers as well as the article says that just because the heart is beating the fetus is viable and living. The article states they check the fetal heartbeat every day. But are they checking brain waves every day, are they checking any other signs of life every day? This isn't that easy. I have 2 very close people that were pregnant but found that the fetus was not viable. One was missing half it's brain, had severe problems with it's heart and was malformed in general. One had no amniotic fluid at all and had it's skull crushed in. Both times their hearts continued to beat until induced delivery. One continued to have the heart beat for a couple minutes after leaving the womb and separated from the placenta. The mother's heart is beating because the machine is keeping it beating. There is no guarantee that the heart of the fetus isn't simply beating because the machine is keeping it beating as well.

I am sure when she signed she never thought that something would happen let alone be pregnant. Being pregnant changes the whole thing. With the help of God, she might just deliver a healthy baby. I get the feeling that had she known this was going to happen, she would probably say save my baby. Screw the cost that everyone is worried about. A new life is at stake here.

Since you asked for opinions...

I think that the State has no business in this fight. This W. was barely out of the first trimester when this happened. I think that they should respect her wishes and let her and the baby go. My opinion would change if she were in a point in her pregnancy where the baby was viable.

I do have my living will, and I have chosen to not be kept on prolonged life support. However, like others have mentioned, I NEVER considered how this would play out if I were pregnant. As a mother, I would do whatever I could for any of my children. So, if this were me, even though I have a DNR order and have legally filed my living will paperwork, I would WANT you to keep me on life support long enough to support my unborn child to term. Then take me off the life support.

I suppose the bigger question for me would be the state of the baby. I agree that there could be serious damage to the baby since mom was without oxygen, but I do find it interesting that the baby is continuing to grow and brain activity is still present. Nature has a way of naturally aborting in cases where there is a problem (although this doesn't always happen). Time will tell in the case of this baby. I am a believer in miracles, and even though the family is not happy that the state stepped in, I pray that this baby is healthy.

Very sad....I hope to hear more on this family over the next few months.

Wow. Tough O..
Even though she may have been staunchly against life support, she didn't have a signed directive. (Even though in Texas, it wouldn't have made a difference.)
I'd bet you a million dollars she never thought about what would happen if she needed life support during pregnancy, though. A mothers will to protect her kids is usually rock solid.
The only thing I know for SURE is that the family could use some prayers.

(BTW, "Pro life" is anti abortion, not believing in the right to choose.)

I think that any W. who is pregnant and carrying a child she already loves and this happened to her....I think she'd want her child to have every chance at life. Even if that child has disabilities from it.

That child has the right to have a fighting chance and I believe the mother would want it too. When someone is pregnant they are responsible for another life not just theirs.

I just read another article about this on Yahoo. Apparently they did NOT have a DNR. It was just that they had talked and those were her wishes. Texas law states this on pregnant patients: "A person may not withdraw or withhold life-sustaining treatment under this subchapter from a pregnant patient."

She is now 18 weeks. I'm stumped on how I would feel. The couple has a child already. A 1 year old. However, they don't know what condition this baby will be in because this baby was deprived oxygen but they don't know for how long. The baby does have a normal heart beat. Personally I just don't know!!! As a mom I would want my child to have every chance at survival. BUT what is "survival"? A child having such profound handicaps that they will not have any type of life? Is that survival? It is a moral and ethical question to be sure. I know nothing in life is a guarantee, but I do think this family should have a say in their loved one's care. My thoughts and prayers to this family. Its a profound loss.

Below is a list of states that also have the same provision as does Texas.
1. Alabama
2. Arkansas
3. Colorado
4. Connecticut
5. Georgia
6. Hawaii
7. Idaho
8. Illinois
9. Indiana
10. Iowa
11. Kentucky
12. Minnesota
13. Missouri
14. North Carolina
15. North Dakota
16. Ohio
17. Oklahoma
18. Pennsylvania
19. Rhode Island
20. South Dakota
21. Texas
22. Utah
23. Washington
24. Wisconsin
25. Wyoming

This is not the only such story. I told my DH when I was carrying DD that if I got cancer, etc, but I could be kept alive enough for DD to survive, that's what I wanted. Then let me go. I would want my child to know I fought for her. I think it's all in the presentation to the child. Your mother wanted you and sadly could not be here to raise you. It's not all that much different from a mother that dies in actual childbirth. Sometimes it works out and the baby lives. Sometimes it doesn't. It's hard to say what this man should do, but what would I want my family to do? Use me as long as my body holds out.

It's actually a very good thing to consider - if you are ever planning on having a child, you might want to amend your own living will to include this "what if".

I think since the pregnancy was only 14 weeks along, they should let the baby go. As the husband said, they don't know how long she was there before they found her, and I'm no doctor, but I have a feeling that a baby who is carried to term in the body of his dead mother for 26 weeks is going to be disabled, somehow, possibly severely. I don't think nature meant for a baby to be carried that way.

I like Nervy Girl's response.

When my husband and I put together our living wills, I specifically stated that if I were pregnant, I would want heroic measures taken to keep me alive in order to try to keep the baby alive. Once the baby is delivered, I would want to be taken off life support. This is something that CAN be written into a legal document and should be considered when writing your living will. I am so sad for that mama and her family.

Personally, I think the husband should have the right to decide whether or not his wife should be on life support. I do think that the State of Texas is acting in good faith on behalf of the baby though.

The W. had an advanced directive. That should be the end of it right there.

Nervy Girl, I wish I could send you a whole bouquet of flowers instead of just one.

It would be one thing is she was 8 months along, but she is not, she is under the window for legal abortion so any and all choices should be made by her living family and her wishes should be respected.

This is a tough one. I'm all for pulling the plug and not prolonging the pain, but depending on how far along in her pregnancy she was.

I believe the State has no say in this matter. The wife had DNR, her husbands knows what she wants, he should also know her well enough to know if her DNR should or should not be delayed for the sake of the child.

I am like you, Pro-Life, but also Pro-Choice. There are so many "If's" in this situation, there is no one way that works for everyone. As for me and my family, IF the baby is viable and close to it's due date, then save the baby at all costs, but then again that's what I would want.

If it were me, No I don't want to live on life support. But that being said if I was expecting and the baby could be saved then I would want that. However this pregnancy was in the 2nd trimester. it's very rare that if an infant is born prematurely before 21 weeks to survive, it does happen but most babies born this early have many problems. Now if the Great state of Texas wants to force this issue and bring this child to term then in my belief they should be responsible for ALL medical costs incurred from the day of this tragic incident. And should also be financially responsible for this childs medical costs. And not sub-par coverage but the best money can buy. Texas put your money where your mouth is. My child was born at 32 weeks and the medical bills for just 28 days in the NICU back in 1988 were well over $100,000.

I'm inclined to believe that the state should leave it alone. If the fetus is viable or on the cusp of viability, then the family (husband/father) MAY choose life support. Otherwise...sorry for the loss.

ETA: Once that pregnant person is dead, she is no longer pregnant and is not in any position to care for a disabled child. If someone should decide not to take on that responsibility--especially under these circumstances--then that person has that right. There's all kinds of room for wishful thinking and fairy tale hope here, but there's also plenty room to be practical.

Wow, what a hard, situation.
Wonder if the Docs, I assume they did, did ultrasounds on the baby?
And have made a guessing conclusion on the baby's condition?
I mean, they do in utero 'surgery' on fetuses too nowadays, right?
But the Mom is brain dead etc. But her body is being kept alive. Her heart has not stopped etc. ? and if she is kept alive by machine, to carry the baby to longer term, being the baby is only about 18 weeks now... then how long.. is that? And who pays etc.
But yet it is not only a cost thing.
And I'm sure, that when the W. made her DNR/living will... she could not and did not imagine, that the situation would be while... she was pregnant.
But yet, she can't make that decision now.
She is brain dead/dead.
And she is carrying another life at this point.
Again, what a hard situation.
You'd think the Docs/Specialists already did an ultrasound on the fetus/baby.... and determined a 'conclusion' about it/the baby.
Medically.

Also the complicated problem is, the fetus/baby is only 18 months? And how long would they have to keep the Mom "alive" for the baby to be.... fully formed etc. or 'delivered.'
Gosh, what a.... hard thought and no real answers.

I just signed my Texas living will before going in the hospital. It does state that it is void if the W. is pregnant.

As far as it goes, if CPR is started, first responders have to continue it to the hospital.

This is not the first case of this happening. But usually we are talking viable babies, not so early in pregnancy. This should have been a decision made with the family and the doctor.

They have lots of tests to show that the baby is still viable. If it wasn't then they wouldn't be trying to keep her going. My feeling on this is that if she is still "alive" then it is for a reason and that reason is to keep her baby alive. I doubt that when she did her living will she pondered the question, "if I am pregnant, then do xyz." If it were me I would want my husband to keep me alive until the baby was born.

Oh, and I am a nurse. One of my saddest Christmas memories is of a young mom that had a aneurysm during childbirth. She had surgery and recovered a few days before Christmas and was able to hold and nurse her newborn. A day later she had another aneurysm and died on the 25th. I often think of that child and how she feels that her mother died while having her. I would like to think that dad honored her mom's memory and gave her a good life. The child will do okay if this is handled correctly by those that raise her.

One of the toughest scenarios I've come across, for sure.

I am pro life. This W. had an advance directive, or didn't she? I couldn't tell from the article I read the other day. Her family certainly knew without a doubt, her wishes. But whether she had them put into a legal directive, I'm not clear on. That muddies things a bit. In Texas, I understand that it wouldn't matter, but it would matter to me.

If mom's body cannot survive, then babies life would end without medical intervention. In an abortion, the babies life ends BECAUSE of intervention.

Mom wanted to not have heroic measures. Where along the way did those heroic measures begin? Husband began CPR at home, before paramedics arrived and transported her to the hospital. At what point did what they did cross the line into "heroic measures"?

Husband, surely, was in shock and acting on instinct to do whatever he could, right at the start. And afterwards the reality of the situation that has resulted has been faced. And NOW the family is united to do what she wanted... turn the machines off. But, shouldn't they have never been on in the first place? When CPR on her kitchen floor did not resuscitate her, shouldn't that have been it? There is a disconnect there.

I have no answer, obviously. It is terribly sad for all of them. However, I think that if TX law allows abortions prior to a certain window of time, if this pregnancy has not reached that point, then the law should honor the parents' getting to make that call. As a person who would be interested in the legal aspect, I think the state needs to make sense. Either the parents/mom get to make the call, or they don't. If they do, then this situation is no different, except that she may have failed to put her wishes/directive in print.
And failing that, if husband would otherwise have the right to turn off the machines, then he should have that right in this case as well.

Very very sad.

This is happening in my city.. I remember hearing about when he had found her and asked for prayers..there's conflicting answers on the dnr.. the state needs to butt out... I want to say he should do what he wants... more one piece of his wife.. my husband told me he 'd do the same if that happened to me.. I wouldn't be concious to know it but my child deserves life...

Hi, W.:
Your question is a tough one.
This is why we have laws.
If the law is pro-life, then this is what happens.
It is not about emotions.
Merry Christmas.
D.