ANN ARBOR, Michigan, December 2, 2015 (LifeSiteNews) – Willy Pickett was born with a brain disorder, lissencephaly. He was not expected to survive. But Willy did survive, and he grew into a precocious preadolescent.
But Willy's mother, Dawn Krause, thinks that children like her son should not be resuscitated by his teachers if a problem arises. She is suing the Washtenaw Intermediate School District to enforce a parental Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order for students.
In response to the Krause lawsuit, the school district's attorney, Timothy Mullins, wrote, “It would be inappropriate to invalidate a school policy designed to protect students, teachers and the school district by holding that parents have the unwavering right to withhold medical care from a child.”
The school district agreed to work to get a court-ordered DNR for individual students, but it refused to change its policy.
On November third, at 11 years old, Willy came down with pneumonia. His health declined rapidly, and he died in his mother's arms on November fifth.
Even though Willy has passed away, his mother says she will continue suing the school district for parent-ordered DNRs. “I have been talking with the attorneys and we are proceeding with the lawsuit,” she said.
“Since Willy is gone there will be some changes,” Krause added. The suit may go to federal court, or Krause's lawyers may find another parent who would rather his or her child die than be revived.
“Our life with Willy, although busy with his care, was highly rewarding,” Krause said. “We are trying to figure out how to move forward when he filled up so much of our lives before. And we are finding it very difficult.”