Texas—A Texas judge on Friday ordered a public hospital to remove life support from a pregnant, brain-dead woman whose body was being preserved to support her unborn child. John Peter Smith Hospital declared Marlise Muñoz brain dead on Nov. 28, shortly after she was brought to the Fort Worth facility after collapsing in the kitchen of her home from a suspected blood clot. She was 14 weeks’ pregnant at the time. Her husband, Erick Muñoz, had requested for weeks that she be removed from life support, but the hospital has maintained that it was required to continue medical service under a Texas law that restricts removing life support from pregnant patients, a measure designed to protect unborn children.
After listening to arguments from both sides Friday, state judge R.H. Wallace Jr. concluded that the law doesn’t apply to someone who is brain dead, such as Ms. Muñoz. He ordered the hospital to remove her from life support by Monday at 5 p.m. local time. “This is a tragic and very difficult case,” the judge told a packed courtroom.
Mr. Muñoz began sobbing after the judge issued the order but declined to address the media.
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