Mana From PR Heaven: Schiavo Redux?

With the stories of the day concerning wiretapping, corruption, Medicare Part D and suing google for search results (more on the last later), what would be best for, erm, certain people, (OK, Hillary and Ray Nagin might be ok with the timing as well) if it became a cause celebre?

Last fall, Haleigh was hospitalized after her stepfather allegedly burned her and beat her nearly to death with a baseball bat. Haleigh, in a coma, was kept alive by a feeding tube and ventilator. Doctors said she was “virtually brain dead”—in a persistent vegetative state with no hope of recovery.

The Massachusetts Department of Social Services wanted to remove Haleigh’s feeding and breathing tubes.


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The only person who wanted Haleigh alive was her stepfather, who will likely be charged with murder if Haleigh dies.

Of course, this means she should be kept alive. By an act of Congress if neccesary. Compare, if you will, the case which caused me to initiate the AHW Awards, that of Tirhas Habtegiris:

Tirhas Habtegiris, a 27-year-old terminal cancer patient at Baylor Regional Medical Center in Plano, Texas, was removed from her ventilator last month because she couldn't pay her medical bills. The hospital gave Ms. Habtegiris' family 10 days' notice, and then, with the bills still unpaid, withdrew her life support on the 11th day. It took Ms. Habtegiris about 15 minutes to die.

It's not like you could have called it beforehand, could you?

Update: Upon further reflection, this sums up my thoughts pretty nicely:

I’d strangle her myself if it would get everybody aside from her mother to shut the fuck up about it.

Considering that the poor girl might be improving that seems wise (except for the strangling part. That was meant as hyperbole. I think. You can never be sure these days.) But why in the Halls of Valhalla should Stepdaddy McConvict have any say in the matter?