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U.S. NEWS Friday 13 december 2019

Mother tells judge her daughter on life support is ‘sassy’

By JAMIE STENGLE ratory and cardiac sup- Lewis said, about removing clinical options, and that “We care a lot about
Associated Press port, deep sedation and her daughter from life sup- treatment was no longer Tinslee,”Duncan said.” We
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — to be medically paralyzed. port. benefiting Tinslee. The girl is care a lot about her fam-
The mother of a 10-month- ily.”
old girl on life support tes- Tarrant County Juvenile
tified Thursday that her Court Judge Alex Kim is-
daughter is “sassy” and sued a temporary restrain-
enjoys cartoons, as a Texas ing order to stop the remov-
judge considered whether al of life support on Nov. 10.
a Fort Worth hospital can But Kim was removed from
remove life-sustaining treat- the case last week after
ment because doctors say the hospital filed a motion
the infant is in pain and questioning his impartial-
her condition will never im- ity and saying he had by-
prove. passed case-assignment
The family of Tinslee Lewis is rules to designate himself
asking an appellate judge as the presiding judge.
to issue an injunction to en- After his removal, Judge
sure the Cook Children’s Sandee Bryan Marion of
Medical Center doesn’t Texas’ Fourth Court of Ap-
take her off life support. peals was assigned to hear
Doctors at the Fort Worth the request for an injunc-
hospital had planned to re- tion. It is unclear if Marion
move Tinslee from life sup- will issue a ruling on Thurs-
port Nov. 10 after invoking day.
Texas’ “10-day rule,” which Cook Children’s said hos-
can be employed when a pital officials have been
family disagrees with doc- talking to Tinslee’s family for
tors who say life-sustain- months about concerns for
ing treatment should be her long-term survival. By
stopped. The law stipulates August, the hospital said,
that if the hospital’s eth- everyone on the girl’s care
ics committee agrees with team agreed that further
doctors, treatment can be care was futile and by Sep-
withdrawn after 10 days if tember they had begun
a new provider can’t be This undated photo provided by Texas Right to Life shows Tinslee Lewis. talking to the family about
found to take the patient. Associated Press withdrawing life support.
Hospital officials said With the doctors and her
they’ve reached out to The hospital said doctors Dr. Jay Duncan, one of Tin- not likely to survive six more family still unable to resolve
more than 20 facilities to believe she’s suffering. slee’s physicians, described months, and the hospital their differences, the eth-
see if one would take Tin- But Trinity Lewis, Tinslee’s the girl’s complex condi- has made “extraordinary” ics committee met Oct. 30
slee, but all agreed that fur- mother, testified Thursday tions and Cook Children’s efforts to find another facil- and unanimously decided
ther care is futile. that despite her daughter’s efforts to treat her, which ity for her, Duncan said. further treatment was inap-
Tinslee has never left Cook sedation, she has a sense have included about sev- “She is in pain. Changing propriate.
Children’s since her prema- of the girl’s likes and dislikes, en surgeries. The cardiac a diaper causes pain. Suc- Texas Right to Life, an anti-
ture birth. The hospital said describing her as “sassy.” intensive care doctor said tioning her breathing tube abortion group that oppos-
she has a rare heart defect Tinslee enjoys the animated that for the first five months causes pain. Being on the es the “10-day rule,” has
and suffers from chronic musical “Trolls” and cries of Tinslee’s life doctors had ventilator causes pain,” he been representing Tinslee’s
lung disease and severe when it ends, the mother hope she might one day at said. family. Spokeswoman Kim-
chronic high blood pres- said. Tinslee doesn’t like to least be able to go home. Duncan said there had berlyn Schwartz said her
sure. She hasn’t come off a have her hair brushed, Lew- But Duncan said there been “many, many” con- group has also reached out
ventilator since going into is said. came a point when doc- versations with Tinslee’s to facilities and that they
respiratory arrest in early “I want to be the one to tors determined they had family about her dire con- hope one will be found that
July and requires full respi- make the decision for her,” run out of surgical and dition. can take Tinslee in.q