By now, you may have heard about a heart-wrenching story out of Texas. A young woman named Margo Naranjo, who was brain-injured after a motor vehicle accident four years ago, is the subject of a euthanasia case. According to social media posts, the parents of Margo have decided to withdrawal her hydration and nutrition. NonVeniMark has some coverage over at his blog:
https://nonvenipacem.org/2024/07/21/action-item-murder-in-a-texas-town/
Now, before you get all defensive let me just say I do not pretend to know what this family is dealing with. Caregivers of patients like Margo bear an incredibly heavy cross.
But, despite emotions, what is happening here is not just unethical, it’s gravely immoral. This is a direct violation of the 5th commandment. By the appearances on Facebook, Margo’s family are Catholics. In fact, their parish has already planned Margo’s funeral, set for August 2, even though she is not dead yet. How can the parish greenlight this??? Aren’t there any priests around to counsel the family??
Not only that, but the entire thing has been made very VERY public via her parent’s social media pages, causing public scandal.
I will provide some information about tube feedings from the National Catholic Bioethics Center, but first, let me just explain a few things in my own terms.
This woman is disabled, she is NOT dying. She is NOT terminally ill. Withholding food and hydration from her WILL cause her death; there is no underlying disease process here that will kill her. She is dependent on tube feeding but only as means of delivery. Babies are also dependent on another to feed them, yet we don’t call that “heroic medical treatment” or “life support”. Margo’s intestinal tract is fully functioning and able to processes/digest food. She just has difficulty swallowing because of her neurological status. There is no justifiable means for discontinuing to feed her; doing so will result in her death. And, the Church has been very clear on this issue.
I do not understand why the priest or priests in this situation have not informed this family that what they are doing is a direct violation of the 5th commandant (not to mention the sin of public scandal). Normally, I’d proceed with caution saying there must be more to the story that we do not know. However, that is not the case here. What is happening is very clear. Again: the parish has allowed her funeral to be scheduled in advance, anticipating her death from starvation.
In one of the videos on his Facebook page, Margo’s father is wearing a shirt that says “pray for a miracle”. You betcha, sir. We are doing exactly that.
Pray for this family to have a conversion of heart. And pray for Margo. It was announced within the last 24 hours that a court order has resumed the tube feedings, so Margo is receiving nutrition…..for now. Please continue to pray.
https://www.ncbcenter.org/resources-and-statements-cms/summary-nutrition-and-hydration-anh
