TODDLER FORCED OFF LIFE SUPPORT: YOUR HELP NEEDED

Melanie Childlers, one of Andrea Clark's sisters, wrote the following disturbing message concerning Emilio Gonzales, the 16-month-old boy who is set to be taken off "life support" against his mother's wishes:

Emilio Gonzales is a sixteen month old infant at Brackenridge Children's Hospital in Austin, TX. He has been diagnosed with Leigh's disease. Leigh's disease is a genetic malady which is caused by a lack of functional mitochondrial complexes. There is NO DEFINITIVE TEST for Leigh's disease, and physicians usually diagnose it based on symptoms, alone. There are tests which can back up the diagnosis, but let me reiterate: there are no definitive tests for this disease.

A group that practices in-house at Brackenridge Children's Hospital, in Austin, TX, called The Pediatric Physicians Alliance of Central Texas, has decided that Emilio Gonzales should die. Although not all of the test results are in, and even if they were, they would not be a definitive diagnosis of Leigh's disease, Emilio Gonzales is set to have his respirator removed this Friday.

This disease is usually treated with thiamin, but these physicians decided to take him off of treatment. It was only when his lawyer, Jerri Ward, insisted that they put him back on the treatment that they did so. These children can live, and often do live, to be about six or seven years of age. This child is sixteen months old and these physicians have decided not to give him a chance at the rest of his life, despite his family's wishes to the contrary.

We have been in touch with the Bishop of the Austin Diocese--Bishop Aymond--who you would THINK would stick up for the life of this little child, but who instead supports killing little Emilio Gonzales. I guess if you're on Medicaid, your life just isn't as worthwhile as it would be if you had good insurance. Bishop Aymond's number is: 512-476-4888. Please call him and if you can't get him on the phone, leave a message, letting him know how you feel about the Catholic Church's approval of the murder of this small child. Keep in mind: This is a CATHOLIC-owned hospital! The head of the Catholic Conference of Bishops is Andrew Rivas. His phone number is: 512-339-9882; please call him and let him know how you feel about this issue.

Please, also get in touch with Brackenridge Children's Hospital, in Austin, TX. Their number is: 512-324-8000. Let them know how you feel about their murdering Emilio Gonzales. Maybe if they get enough calls through their switchboard, they might change their mind about killing this little boy.

You may also contact the physician's group (Pediatric Physicians Alliance of Central Texas) that is handling Emilio's treatment, composed of several doctors who have actively campaigned to have this child's treatment withdrawn at: 512-324-8009.

Please post these numbers on any blog or website you can think of and help this mother stop the hospital from killing her little boy!

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Via Digg This! and Pro-life Blogs.

Comments

  1. As the mother of a 16 month old DS, my heart goes out to Catarina Gonzales. I wonder though if the hospital would be pushing so hard to discontinue use of the respirator if our DS was the one ill. Would the fact that we are upper-middle class Caucasian highly educated white collar professionals (former in my case) with good private insurance make a difference in how the hospital staff treat us????

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