Marlise Machado Muñoz and Erick Muñoz with their only child.
By H. Nelson Goodson
January 24, 2014
Fort Worth, Texas - On Friday, 96th District Court Tarrant County Judge William R. H. Wallace Jr. ordered the John Peter Smith Hospital to disconnect Marlise Machado Muñoz, 33, from life supports. Muñoz has been brain dead, since last November, but was 14 weeks pregnant and the hospital kept her in life supports, despite family, husband and her wish not to be kept alive by a machine.
The hospital maintained that they were keeping her alive due to a Texas law that allows a hospital to keep a person alive in order to save an unborn child. In Muñoz case, she was declared brain dead and several doctors indicated the child would have medical complications and a strong possibility the child would not be born in a normal state.
The sex of the fetus has not been determined, according to the hospital. The hospital doctors finally realized the fetus was not viable.
Erick Muñoz, Marlise's husband who is firefighter and paramedic had said, that his wife had decided not to be kept alive by a machine. Marlise was also a paramedic by profession. They have a young boy and believed they were having a girl.
Muñoz in behave of his wife filed a lawsuit on January 12 in Texas seeking for the hospital to abide by Marlise's wish not to be kept alive, which finally on Friday, she will get her final wish on Monday.
Attorney's for the John Peter Smith Hospital have not indicated, if they will appeal Judge Wallace's decision.
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