Just as the subject of euthanasia is once more becoming relevant in the US, the case of a pregnant Latina who remains connected to an artificial respirator in Texas has caught the attention of the media, since her wife claims he will fight to disconnect her.
Erick Muñoz, a Latino resident of Dallas, told NBC that doctors declared his wife, Marlise Muñoz, to be brain dead last November 26 when she suffered a pulmonary stroke.
Since then, Marlise, 33, has remained in the intensive cares unit of the John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, unconscious and connected to a respirator, despite saying in life that she did not wish to be kept alive artificially.
"We talked about it. We're both paramedics and we've seen cases like this in the past. This is why we both knew we never wanted to be connected to a machine to live," Muñoz told CNN.
Despite Erick's efforts to respect his wife's last will, the situation is very complicated. At the moment of the accident, Marlise was 14 weeks pregnant, which is why Texas laws don't permit her to be disconnected, to preserve the life of the fetus.
According to Texas law, even if a pregnant woman has a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order, she can't be removed from treatment that would keep her artificially alive, Marlise's mother, Lynne Machado, told NBC News.
"Doctors told us that even if a pregnant woman has a DNR or a will, the law can nullify it. Any pregnant woman must be kept alive due to the fetus. We had never heard about that before and we wanted to get all the information on it. No family should have to go through this. It has been a real hell," Lynne said.
Marlise's family's main worry is that the fetus might have been damaged by the pulmonary stroke, since there is no way of knowing how long it went without oxygen or vital nutrients. The worry intensifies as days pass since doctors have not provided specific information on the patient's condition, while they have confirmed they would comply with state law.
The Muñoz family will have to wait until the fetus, now in its 18th week of gestation, reaches its 24th week so doctors can verify its medical condition and determine what to do next.
Watch the video broadcast by the ABC.