The blogosphere celebrated last week over the apparent rescue of Andrea Clark from the Texas “futile care law” - but it appears we may have popped the proverbial corks a little too soon. (For the background and back story, see my post, “Saving Andrea to Save Us All” ).

Less than an hour before Andrea was scheduled to depart for Illinois, word came that the Illinois facility which had agreed to accept Andrea could not provide the necessary level of care.  (Weird.  I’ve scoured the blogosphere, and though a number of blogs are providing good coverage, no one seems to have a handle on exactly where things went wrong or why an apparently acceptable facility turned out not to be…though I’ll update if I find anything of note).  St. Luke’s, the hospital currently providing Andrea’s care, has given the family only one additional day to find a new hospital or health-care facility willing to take over - meaning that St. Luke’s may still “pull the plug” on Andrea any time after Monday if the family cannot find another solution.

ProLife Blogs is reporting that Andrea’s family and their attorney will be filing papers on Monday seeking a cease and desist order preventing the hospital from terminating Andrea’s care (and thereby terminating her life). (Tip of the horns: Beth at My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy)  Although this is a good step, if Texas’ futile care law truly permits a hospital to terminate a patient’s care and life over family objections legal action may not be enough.  I strongly urge and encourage readers and bloggers alike to continue calling and emailing St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital contact information here  to ask them to change the horrific decision they’ve made.  Please stay polite and use appropriate language - but let them know Andrea deserves to live.

This isn’t about deciding whether a person deserves to be kept alive in a vegetative state.  It isn’t about the right to die or even the right to decide which family member can properly “pull the plug.”  As I read it, this story involves nothing more than a hospital deciding a woman should die when both the patient and her family want her to receive the care she needs to live.  No hospital should have that right. 

Cross-posted at The Random Yak.