Below, you will find several important updates, including events occurring TOMORROW, Tuesday, May 8th, regarding both Emilio Gonzales in Austin, TX and Ashley X in Seattle, WA. The first update and call to action is in reference to a 9am hearing for Emilio that takes place tomorrow morning. The second is in regard to a report due to be released tomorrow by the Washington Protection and Advocacy System that reveals how the Seattle Childrens Hospital broke the law when it performed Ashleys hysterectomy.
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The following update and call to action comes to AAPD from Bob Kafka (Not Dead Yet of Texas, ADAPT
Advocates: The life and death struggle of Emilio is now in the hands of the Court.
There will be a hearing on Tuesday, May 8th at 9am, CourtHouse, Room 201 (Between 11th and 12th St just west of Gualadupe) Austin, Texas. The legal issues are complex but it is believed if Emilio had a tracheotomy he could leave the hospital and be with his mother and die in a more dignified setting. If you are on a respirator or your child is, please come to the Court House and show that living on a respirator in the community is possible.
If you support the rights of people with significant disabilities please attend this hearing. This is a human and disability rights issue. Doctors should not be able to override our expressed wishes. Ironically the Catholic Church (Sisters of Charity run the hospital) and the Austin Bishop are supporting the killing of Emiliio. Orwellian speak has made them describe treatment of Emilio as "prolonging dying" rather than what it is "infanticide."Protecting the zygote seems more important than protection of the life of a 17 month child. Doctors are not infallible and should not play _ _ _ !
Please come to the Court House on Tuesday and support Emilio.
SOURCE: NOT DEAD YET of Texas ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following update comes to AAPD from Amber Smock of Feminist Response in Disability Activism (FRIDA)
Thanks to Steve Drake of Not Dead Yet, FRIDA has learned that the Washington Protection and Advocacy System found that Seattle Children's Hospital failed to secure a court order for Ashley X's hysterectomy. (Please read below for the full announcement.) The report will be released on Tuesday. FRIDA thanks the WPAS for their exposure of this systemic breakdown. We encourage anyone who may be in the area on Tuesday to go to Seattle Children's for the report release at 10 am PST to represent for our community.FRIDA
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Thursday, May 03, 2007
WPAS Finds Hospital That Performed "Ashley Treatment" Violated Law by Not Having Court Order Hospital Takes Full Responsibility and Implements New Safeguards
SEATTLE, WA - An investigative report released today by the Washington Protection and Advocacy System* (WPAS) about the much-publicized "Ashley Treatment" finds that Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, as a result of a communication breakdown, violated Washington state law in performing the hysterectomy portion of the "Ashley Treatment" on a 6-year old with a developmental disability without a court order. This resulted in a violation of Ashley's constitutional and common law rights. Children's Hospital has acknowledged that Washington law requires a court order for the sterilization of a child with a developmental disability and has entered into an agreement with the Washington Protection and Advocacy System (WPAS) to take corrective action to assure that the sterilization of a child with a development disability does not happen again without a court order. Above and beyond the corrective action, Children's Hospital is taking additional steps to protect the rights of their patients with developmental disabilities.
WHAT: Release of WPAS' Investigation Report into "Ashley's Treatment" & Discussion of the Children's Hospital Response***also available to interview are disability advocates, parents of children with disabilities, and hospital officials***
WHO: David Carlson, WPAS Associate Director of Legal Advocacy;
Deborah A. Dorfman, WPAS Dir. of Legal Advocacy and Assoc.Executive Director;
Dr. David Fisher, Children's Hospital Medical Director;
Gail Lainhart-Rivas, Parent;
Corinna Lang Fale, SelfAdvocate;
and Curt Decker, Executive Director National DisabilityRights Network (NDRN) based in Washington, DC.
WHEN: 10:00 a.m. PST - Tuesday, May 8, 2007
WHERE: Auditorium, Seattle Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, 4800 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98105
Park in Giraffe garage and check-in at Giraffe entrance
For the Main Campus directions, visit:www.seattlechildrens.org/home/about_childrens/maps_directions/
Washington Protection and Advocacy System (WPAS) is a private non-profit organization that protects the rights of people with disabilities statewide. The mission of WPAS is to advance the dignity, equality, and self-determination of people with disabilities. WPAS works to pursue justice on matters related to human and legal rights.
As part of a national trend with protection and advocacyagencies, WPAS is changing its name to Disability Rights Washington effective June 1, 2007.315 - Fifth Avenue South, Suite 850* Seattle, WA 98104tel: (206) 324-1521 * tty: (206) 957-0728 * fax: (206) 957-0729wpas@wpas-rights.org * www.wpas-rights.orgSource: FRIDA, Not Dead Yet
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