By Kathy Ostrowski
Kansans for Life
Can a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order be placed in your child’s medical file without your knowledge? YES!
Can your child be denied life-sustaining care based on a quality of life assessment by a hospital ethics board? YES!
Are both situations outrageous and scary? YES!
The remedy? Simon’s Law, a pro-life bill filed and being promoted in two states: Kansas and Missouri.
Simon was a 3-month-old precious boy who was starved, given antagonistic medication and not resuscitated due to the secret placement of a DNR order on his medical chart.
And why? Because Simon was labeled as suffering under a “syndrome” of an extra gene, Trisomy 18… and thus discriminated against as not worth life-sustaining care.
Simon’s family watched as he expired before their eyes and only later discovered in horror that a DNR had been placed on his chart which they in no way wanted or had even discussed.
Simon’s Law would do two simple things:
1. prevent any medical facility or practitioner from secretly placing a DNR order for children under 18 years of age without written consent of at least one parent or guardian.
2. require that a facility disclose, upon request, any existing written policy on denial of life-sustaining treatment.
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