(LifeSiteNews) — LifeSiteNews is calling for prayers for Margo Naranjo, a young Texas woman who suffered a severe brain injury in 2020 following a car wreck, whose parents have decided to withdraw life-sustaining artificial nutrition and hydration to bring about her death.
In a July 7 video posted to Facebook, Naranjo’s mother, Cathy, announced that after years of little to no improvement in their daughter’s condition, the family has decided “to go ahead and take her off life support.” What that means in this situation, Cathy explained, is that Margo’s artificially-administered nutrition and hydration will be removed.
Incredibly, Cathy filmed the video with Margo sitting next to her. The video has now been removed from Facebook.
Following the announcement that Margo is no longer going to receive artificial nutrition and hydration and will consequently die, the family has organized a funeral to take place on August 2 at St. Ann Catholic Church in Coppell, Texas, within the Diocese of Dallas. The next day the family is hosting a “Celebration of Life” party.
While the removal of artificially-administered nutrition and hydration is often legal, it is a violation of Catholic teaching on the sanctity of human life.
As explained by the National Catholic Bioethics Center, “Having a patient die of dehydration or malnutrition because of withdrawing or refusing to provide food and water by artificial means was declared a violation of the moral law by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2007.”
As a result, Catholics online have begun to express their concern for Margo and are urging her parents not to withdraw her life-sustaining nutrition and hydration.
“Here is a still from Cathy Naranjo waxing bland and banal about the death by starvation she and her husband Mike have planned, and have begun to execute, for their beautiful, vulnerable, daughter Margo,” Catholic commentator Patrick Coffin wrote on X.
Here is a still from Cathy Naranjo waxing bland and banal about the death by starvation she and her husband Mike have planned, and have begun to execute, for their beautiful, vulnerable, daughter Margo. Don’t believe me. Visit her Facebook page (meta disallows sharing here) and… pic.twitter.com/uAb6kZH4xC
— Patrick Coffin (@CoffinMedia) July 20, 2024
Coffin then drew a comparison to the 2005 case of Terri Schiavo, who spent years in a brain-injured condition and become the subject of a lengthy legal battle because her husband desired to remove her feeding tube to cause her death. Terri’s husband was ultimately successful in court, and the woman had her feeding tube removed and subsequently died.
LifeSiteNews is urging Catholics to pray for Margo, and to pray that her family and those involved do the right thing and preserve her life by continuing to provide her with nutrition and hydration.
To respectfully voice your concerns to the Office of Bishop Edward J. Burns of the Diocese of Dallas, please contact:
Phone number: (214) 528-2240
Email: [email protected]