Who is Mae Magouirk

[ogsball]

This article was posted on a list I'm on and it looks like the conservatives are making hay here. Now what's the real story? Anyone know?


Schiavo Precedent already Reality
- Granddaughter Pulls Woman's Feeding Tube

LAGRANGE, Georgia, April 8, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A woman
convalescing from surgery was moved to a local hospice, where her
granddaughter, claiming to have legal power of attorney over her
grandmother, ordered the hospice to pull the 81-year-old woman's
feeding tube.

Mae Magouirk has not had food or water since March 28, even though her
living will states that food and water not be discontinued unless she
enters a coma or a persistent vegetative state. Magouirk was expected
to make a recovery after surgery for a dissecting aorta, until her
granddaughter, 36-year-old Beth Gaddy intervened, ordering her
transferred to a local hospice and her feeding and hydration
discontinued. Hospice care is normally reserved for the terminally ill, which Magouirk is not.

Magouirk lives alone but, because of glaucoma, she relies on Gaddy for
errands and groceries. "Grandmama is old and I think it is time she
went home to Jesus," Gaddy told Magouirk's brother and nephew, A. Byron McLeod, and Ken Mullinax, according to a WorldNetDaily report. "She has glaucoma and now this heart problem, and who would want to live with disabilities like these?"

Mullinax also said Magouirk's cardiologists told him they believe the
aortic dissection, although serious, was contained and not life
threatening. Mullinax and McLeod hold the true power of attorney for
Magouirk. After learning of her state, they ordered an immediate
re-insertion of the feeding tube. Hospice staff distracted McLeod and
Mullinax while Gaddy obtained an emergency guardianship order from
Troup County, Ga., Probate Court Judge Donald W. Boyd. Gaddy then
re-ordered the removal of the feeding tube. Judge Boyd has not made a
final ruling, while Magouirk enters her 11th day without water or food.

[MrBenchley]

1. Big surprise--the story's horseshit....

The aptly named World O'Crap has the details...

http://blogs.salon.com/0002874/2005/04/09.html#a1623

Meanwhile, it was nice of World Nut Daily to include a handy e-mail link so its cretinous readers can send death threats to the judge.

[LizW]

2. Here's the story from today's B'ham News

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/111329760456660.xml

The medical treatment of an 81-year-old Georgia woman has divided her family after a judge ordered her transferred from a hospice to UAB Hospital.

Her granddaughter, Beth Gaddy of Troup County, Ga., who has taken care of her grandmother for 10 years and has held legal guardianship since April 1, moved Magouirk to a hospice March 22. She was moved there on the advice of several doctors who said her condition was terminal, according to Troup County Probate Judge Donald Boyd.

Apparently some of the family thinks the woman is not dying and should have a feeding tube. She has a living will, but they dispute whether it should be applied at this time.

The family all agreed to have her looked at by other doctors, and that is why she was moved to the hospital in Alabama. The problem is that one of the relatives is going on all the right-wing radio shows and comparing the case to the Schiavo case and getting the nutcases all worked up.

[ogsball]

3. Thanks for the references

my google must be infected by a conservative bug. I could only find the Hanity stuff.