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Thursday June 26, 2008
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Arizona Law Forbids Easy Withdrawal of Food and Fluids from Patients
PHOENIX, AZ, June 26, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - On Tuesday, the State of Arizona passed a bill known as "Jesse's Law", which will help protect incapacitated patients from being euthanized. The new law, inspired by the ordeal of Jesse Ramirez, closed a loophole in the decision-making process for patients who are physically unable to communicate their wishes regarding medical care.
House Bill 2823 establishes a court process to obtain an emergency order to prevent a surrogate decision-maker from withdrawing the administration of food or fluid from an incapacitated patient.
Jesse Ramirez was seriously injured in a May 30, 2007, car accident. Barely 10 days after the accident, Jesse's food, water, and antibiotics were withdrawn. He was then transferred to hospice where he would have died. Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorneys, however, were successful in restoring food, water, and treatment to the young Gulf War veteran.
"Human life is valuable in its own right, and everyone deserves the chance to recover," said ADF Senior Counsel Gary McCaleb. "This law ensures that seriously injured patients will not suffer the consequences of a hasty decision that could result in death by starvation or dehydration."
Ramirez, who was eventually transferred from hospice care to a rehabilitation facility, walked out of the facility in October 2007, and continues his remarkable recovery at home.
The Center for Arizona Policy promoted the H.B. 2823. The full text of the bill is available at http://www.telladf.org/UserDocs/HB2823.pdf.
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