MIAMI, FL — The devout Jewish family of a brain dead 4-year-old girl insist on keeping her on life support, but doctor's say Florida law will not allow them.
Family fights to Keep their 4 Year Olds Life
MIAMI, FL — The devout Jewish family of a brain dead 4-year-old girl insist on keeping her on life support, but doctor’s say Florida law will not allow them.
Aliza Schwab has been on life support at Jackson Memorial Hospital for about two weeks since a near drowning in her family’s pool. Several doctors have declared the little one brain dead, and claim that, by Florida law, the girl has to be taken off life support. “She’s my daughter and I love her, and I’ll do anything I can to keep her here with me, even if I have to go the farthest mile for it. Whatever it is, I’m willing to do it for her,” said Esther Schwab, the girl’s mother.
Holtz Children’s Hospital released a statement standing behind their care: “Our hearts go out to the Schwab family during this very difficult time. As always, Holtz Children’s Hospital is committed to providing the highest quality medical care possible to all patients who enter our doors. The medical staff at Holtz, along with the pediatric bioethics committee, has been working with and informing the Schwab family on every aspect of the care delivered to their child.”
The family refuses to abide that law and says that their religious beliefs dictate that for as long as the young girl has a heartbeat, she still has a life worth holding on to. “All the parents are asking for is the possibility to hope and the opportunity to have that hope actualized in trying to keep Aliza alive,” said Menachem Mayberg, the family’s attorney.
The family is now making a public plea to anyone or any facility that would like to help keep Schwab on life support under their medical vigilance to please contact their attorney.
reader
This is a problem in a lot of states. I know of another case in a different state where someone was also almost taken off of life support because of the hospital’s "ethics" committee. Boruch Hashem, Agudas Israel helped and the patient was not taken off of life support. Something needs to be done about this-this is a big problem in the US.
yehuda
i have seen first hand that someone was on life support with no brain waves! after a number of days, a miracle happend!! he came out of it.i my self was next to his bed praying!
he is a young boy/man about 17 years old at the time.he is married now with a child[girl] the doctors have to know that it is the almighty G-D that runs this world! prayer helps!
Experienced
Unfortunately, this is the typical example of when dorctors turn in to grisly murderers, and they will do anything in their power to kill, that’s right pull the the plug.
Hashem yerachem on this family, i know what it’s like, it’s as tough as it gets, dealing with these hospitals is like dealing with the KGB…
Refuah Sh’leimah, Moshiach NOW!
dying in fla
florida likes to kill the ill
speed recovery!!!!
speedy recovery! I’ve heard of a story in which someone was pronounced brain dead and the doctors had no hope. And now he it talking and walking and living a normal life, and you could never tell that he went through anything! May HaShem grant this same miracle for this 4 year-old as well!
elchonon
Hi,
To the parents, please contact Dr Raghab 305-662-8386 He is the head of neurosurgery at Jackson memorial specializing in pediatric brain and spinal surgery. He has been my neurosurgeon for over 10 years and we are very close and has operated on me 3 times. Tell him Elchonon Hellinger sent you and hopefully he will hear you out and help.
Ari
attn: pull the plug! =why torture her!?
Imagine you gd forbid or someone you love was living off life support and make your decison. Until you’re in such a situation no one has a right to judge the family. The family believes in Hashem and only He can say if she is to live or not.
REFUAH SHELAMA!!
To comment 2
There is a lengthy discussion amongst the poskim as to whether brain death is considered actually dead and the conclusion of the greatest poskim (Shlomo Zalman etc..) is that it is asur to pull the plug.. it is not a opinion of the mother but a halachic fact…
FedUo!
The only posisek I know that allows to pull the plug is Rabbi Tendler, arguing that his father in law (Reb Moshe) was not quite in tune with medical reality! The argument surrounds the mishna of nafla alav hagal…in terms of Shabbos. Bottom line: It’s asur!
A pediatrician.
Actually, having taken Rabbi Tendler’s class in college, I can assure you his argument is a bit more detailed than that. One example he likes to show is a video they did in israel. In it, they beheaded a pregnant sheep, kept it on life support and the headless body delivered a health baby shepsele. While nobody would argue that a body without a head is not alive, they showed that with the right machinery, you could simulate life.
Let’s take a moment and remove emotion from the equation. Halachically, it will depend on the family’s posek as to whether they have to keep the child on life support or not. But the hospital does not have to honor their wishes. It costs an average of about $10,000 a day to keep a child in an intensive care unit on a ventilator, this does not include the costs of paying the physicians and nurses taking care of that child, or any medication the child may need as infections/complications set in. In addition, while the child takes up that bed, there is one less space free for any other critically ill children who may need it. one of the most precious resources in a hospital these days is space.
It’s easy to point a finger and cry "murderers!". let those who do bring the hospital the $10,000 a day, and let those people find a way to make room for the other critically ill children who need the space, and have a better prognosis. Doctors and hospitals aren’t G-d, they don’t have unlimited powers, stop holding them to that standard.
My heart goes out to families in this situation. May we be blessed to one day no longer need doctors and hospitals.
moshiachnow
REFUAH SHLEIMA B’KAROV MAMOSH!!!!
YOUR TEHILLIM CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO SAY THE SHORT KAPPITL
THANK YOU,AND MOSHIACH NOW!