Alliance Defense Fund And Schindlers Save The Life Of Woman Whom Georgetown Threw To The Curb

Last weekend I notified you of the plight of Rachael Nyirahaabiyambere, an immigrant from Rwanda whose feeding tube was removed at the instigation of Georgetown University Medical Center, a supposedly "Catholic" healing institution.  From now on, I'll use the adjective "catholyc" to refer to them.

At that time, I believed her death was inevitable and imminent.  Happily, I am proven incorrect.  She is still alive.  Moreover, as my fellow blogger Good Jesuit, Bad Jesuit reports, her feeding tube was restored by court order.  It appears that the Alliance Defense Fund  and the Terri Schiavo Life and Hope Network came to the assistance of the woman's family, who had previously been ill-served by lawyers who, at best, had "conflicts of interest".  With that assistance, the family obtained the humane help that their mother needs.  At least for now that murder is averted.

It's truly a blight on the local church that a secular court had to undo a murderous order instigated by a supposedly "Catholic" institution.  Additionally, it is a disgrace that there was not the slightest peep uttered from the offices of the Archdiocese of Washington regarding this murderous situation that was taking place within their boundaries.  (Could it be that they were too busy quashing the Pontifical Mass that was scheuled to occur at the Nationa Shrine next month?  See my fellow blogger's posts on that debacle.)  I also don't recall hearing diddly-squat from the USCCB, those self-reputed champions of the poor and oppressed.

Here's some reminders, from basic Catholic medical ethics.  The providing of food and/or water is not extraordinary medical care.  It is part of basic care; it is the duty of any medical institution - most especially a Catholic one - to provide that care without condition nor hesitation.  Got that, boys and girls of Georgetown?

Georgetown University Medical Center - Starving & Dehydrating A Woman To Death!!!!

That seems to be what they're doing to Rachel Nyirahabiyambere, who emigrated from Rwanda.  She suffered a stroke last April and has been unresponsive since then.  She had been at Georgetown University Medical Center.  According to this New York Times article, her feeding tube was removed - at the instigation of Georgetown!  Her six adult children - two of them US citizens - opposed the removal of the tube.  As one of her sons said, "In our culture, we would never sentence a person to die from hunger.”   Once upon a more humane and just time, we could say the same thing, but I digress.

Facing the principled opposition from the woman's children in their attempt to murder her, Georgetown sought appointment of a guardian to "make decisions that the family would not make."  The lap-dog courts happily obliged, and on Feb 19th the tube was removed.  Yes, a true family would not make that decision, being bound not only by familial love, but also the 4th and 5th Commandments.  They shouldn't.  Neither should a Catholic hospital that pretends to call itself "Catholic".

First Things commented on the situation.  They illustrated how the family was railroaded by the legal system.  In short, an attorney appointed to their case had been recommended by another attorney who was paid by Georgetown.  That's called "conflict of interest".

Here is what this court-appointed attorney, who is charged with guarding the interests of her ward, the patient, had to say: “Hospitals cannot afford to allow families the time to work through their grieving process by allowing the relatives to remain hospitalized until the family reaches the acceptance stage, if that ever happens,” Ms. Sloan said in an e-mail. “Generically speaking, what gives any one family or person the right to control so many scarce health care resources in a situation where the prognosis is poor, and to the detriment of others who may actually benefit from them?”   To me, it sounds like she's speaking on behalf of Georgetown, and not her ward!

At this time, Ms. Nyirahabiyambere is in a hospice in Millersville.  She may be beyond rescue after two weeks of no food nor water.  However, this matter cannot go to the grave with her.  Some things must happen, and must happen NOW.

My colleague at Les Femmes has also posted on this deplorable manner.  At the bottom of her post, she includes contact information for both the Archdiocese of Washington and Georgetown Hospital.  While I think it's a great idea to contact the Archdiocesan pro-life office, it's Cardinal Wuerl who will have to step up to the plate.  Urge him to follow the example of Bishop Olmsted, who dealt with a similar situation when St Joseph's Hospital authorized and performed an abortion.

I'd also contact the USCCB.  As much as they ballyhoo about justice for immigrants, here's a chance to put their money where their mouth is.  We have here a true case of brutal injustice being done to an immigrant family by corrupt lawyers who have all the appearance of being in bed with Georgetown Medical Center.  As a result, a woman is being brutally murdered.  Please contact the USCCB's Migration and Refuge Services offices.  The name of the Executive Director is Johnny Young.