{"id":201238,"date":"2019-04-30T13:36:31","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T18:36:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=201238"},"modified":"2019-05-01T19:17:29","modified_gmt":"2019-05-02T00:17:29","slug":"hospital-euthanize-oxygen-patient-wants-live","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/hospital-euthanize-oxygen-patient-wants-live\/","title":{"rendered":"VICTORY: Hospital will no longer remove oxygen from cancer patient"},"content":{"rendered":"
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UPDATE, 5\/1\/19, 8:13p EST<\/strong>: Good news from Life Legal Defense Foundation. Below is the group’s statement with regard to Catie Cassidy:<\/p>\n

Yesterday, Life Legal reported that 64-year-old Catie Cassidy was threatened with removal of oxygen while receiving care at a Minnesota hospital. Without supplemental oxygen, Catie would have suffocated to death.<\/em><\/p>\n

In response, Life Legal attorneys sent a demand letter letting the hospital know of its duties under Minnesota law.<\/em><\/p>\n

We have received news today that Fairview Hospital in Edina is fully cooperating with Catie\u2019s health care proxy and that they will continue to provide Catie with oxygen as needed.<\/em><\/p>\n

We are grateful for the work of our Life Legal Minnesota team, especially attorneys Wayne Holstad and Craig Beuning of Holstad and Knaak, who intervened immediately on Catie\u2019s behalf.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cLife Legal is pleased that Catie will receive the care she needs and that her wish to fight for her life as long as she can will be honored,\u201d said Life Legal Executive Director Alexandra Snyder. \u201cIt is time for us to have a larger conversation about the inherent value of every human life and about our moral obligation to protect those who are most vulnerable.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

UPDATE, 5\/1\/19, 4:01p EST<\/strong>: Fairview Hospital responded this afternoon to Live Action with a statement:<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve heard or seen the inaccurate accusations about euthanasia at one of our hospitals, we\u2019d like to address this directly: Because of privacy laws, we cannot comment on a specific patient\u2019s medical condition. We can share, however, how we address end-of-life care. End-of-life care is focused on comfort care during the dying process. We communicate closely with the patient or, if they are unable to participate in conversation, with their designated decision-maker if they have one. We do our best to honor the patient\u2019s known wishes, whether those wishes are to prolong life or to stop treatment. <\/em><\/p>\n

Euthanasia is illegal in the State of Minnesota, and our health system does not practice it. It is always our goal to provide medically appropriate and ethical care and comfort to our patients with the utmost dignity and honor.<\/em><\/p>\n

4\/30\/19<\/strong>: The attorneys at Life Legal Defense Foundation shared a post on Facebook<\/a> today regarding a 64-year-old lung cancer patient, Catie Cassidy, at Fairview Hospital in Edina, Minnesota, whom the hospital is threatening to euthanize by removing her oxygen tomorrow — which LLDF says would cause her to suffocate to death. LLDF writes:<\/p>\n

Catie is a patient at a hospital in Minnesota. She has lung cancer and needs oxygen to remain comfortable. The hospital plans to remove Catie\u2019s oxygen tomorrow morning, which will result in her death by suffocation.<\/em><\/p>\n

Catie is on video saying she does not want the hospital to \u201cpull the plug.\u201d She relayed this to the hospital\u2019s chaplain, who was sent to Catie\u2019s room by the hospital to prepare her to be euthanized. Even though the hospital has been sedating Catie, she understands what the hospital is planning to do and says she is still fighting and is \u201cnot ready\u201d to die. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

We are appalled that a hospital would even consider withdrawing oxygen from a patient who has clearly communicated that she wants to live. When asked if she wants her oxygen removed, Catie\u2019s response was “NO! I want to live!”<\/em><\/p>\n

Withdrawing Catie\u2019s oxygen to cause her death is active euthanasia, which is illegal in Minnesota and every other state.<\/em><\/p>\n

Life Legal is evaluating legal options at this time.<\/em><\/p>\n