ROUND ROCK, TX, March 25, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A judge has ordered a hospital to restore life-sustaining treatment to a 43-year-old man whose estranged wife, whom he is divorcing, ordered hospital officials to pull the plug.
Terry Andrew Mace had a heart attack on March 6 and was rushed to Seton Medical Center Williamson in Round Rock, Texas. The hospital administered life-sustaining nutrition and hydration through a feeding tube and oxygen by a ventilator.
On Saturday his wife, Yvonne, ordered the nutrition and hydration to be ended and the ventilator removed. Mace and his wife have been estranged for four years and are in the midst of divorce proceedings.
At that time, Mace began breathing on his own, but without nutrition and hydration he would die within days.
His adoptive parents contacted the Texas Center for Defense of Life (TCDL), which asked for a temporary restraining order (TRO).
“Because of her adverse litigation position,” TCDL attorney Stephen Casey wrote in a petition to the court, Yvonne Mace “has a financial and legal conflict of interest.”
Instead, Casey asked that custody of Mace and his estate be awarded to Mace's parents, Carol and Terry Mace Sr. His father rushed from his home in Herndon, Pennsylvania, to be at his son's side.
Judge John B. McMaster, presiding judge of County Court at Law #4 of Williamson County, agreed and issued a TRO on Monday.
“Today, we obtained a short-term victory in what may become a long-term battle to save this man’s life,” TCDL President Greg Terra said immediately after yesterday's ruling.
“It has only been 18 days since Mr. Mace’s heart attack and we believe it is much too soon for life sustaining treatment to be removed,” he said. “We will fight in the Texas courts to save Mr. Mace’s life until he recovers and walks out of the hospital or until we have exhausted our efforts.”
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Seton Medical Center has five major medical centers serving 11 counties. “Seton is building for the future to continue providing Healthcare that Works, Healthcare that is Safe and Healthcare that Leaves No One Behind,” it states.
A hearing to determine final custody is scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m. Central time.