Force-Feeding Tube Gone, Bouvia Still Plans Suicide

Doctors removed a force-feeding tube Thursday from quadriplegic Elizabeth Bouvia, responding to a state appellate court ruling that upheld her longstanding plea to starve herself to death.

However, while Bouvia is “very happy” and has returned to a minimal liquid diet, she still plans to commit suicide through starvation as soon as she can transfer to another medical facility and leave the county-run hospital that has fought her wish to die, her attorney said.

“It’s still her intention to meet her fate without unnecessary delay when that can be done in comfortable and non-hostile circumstances,” said attorney Richard Scott, who heads a team of volunteer American Civil Liberties Union lawyers representing Bouvia. “But it won’t be now.”

Scott noted that Bouvia, a patient at Los Angeles County’s High Desert Hospital in Lancaster, has long tried without success to find another hospital or nursing facility where she could resume starving herself without interference.

“She has to have somewhere else to go and have a support system in place and that’s tough,” Scott said.

Her attorneys have contacted numerous facilities on Bouvia’s behalf but have been unable to find one that will take her on her terms.

In the eyes of many hospital officials her case goes beyond traditional right-to-die ethics. Doctors have predicted that Bouvia, a 28-year-old victim of cerebral palsy, could live another 15 or 20 years with adequate nutrition. Hospital officials feel that they will be participating in a killing if they allow her to carry out her plans.

Close to Decision

County attorneys said Thursday that they were close to deciding to appeal Wednesday’s strongly worded and unanimous ruling by the 2nd District Court of Appeal that sided with Bouvia.

The court said Bouvia has an absolute right to refuse force-feeding or any other unwanted medical treatment, “even if (it) creates a life-threatening condition.”

Bouvia had fought for removal of the nasogastric tube since it was inserted against her will on Jan. 16. She filed suit to end the force feeding a week later.

A Superior Court judge, concluding that it was “fairly clear” that Bouvia had “formed an intent to die,” denied her request for an order to end the tube feeding.

But the three-judge appellate panel said Wednesday that Bouvia’s intent was immaterial because as a competent adult, the decision to refuse any medical treatment “is hers alone.”

‘Self-Induced Starvation’

Doctors at High Desert Hospital said they initiated the tube feeding to avert a life-threatening situation, concluding that Bouvia could--but would not--eat solid food. They said Bouvia had insisted on a liquid diet that doctors felt was inadequate and in fact a means to “self-induced starvation.”

Bouvia now plans to resume that same diet, eating an amount “pretty close to adequate” to maintain her body weight, attorney Scott said.

A hospital spokeswoman said that with the force-feeding tube removed, Bouvia and staff members would confer today on planning her diet.

County attorneys said Bouvia’s weight had increased to 83 pounds from 67 during the imposed feeding and said that even if she changed her mind and abstained from drinking liquids there would be no immediate harm.

Hahn Urged Appeal

Supervisor Kenneth Hahn urged the county counsel’s office to appeal the Bouvia ruling promptly, arguing that “government . . . has the responsibility to prevent suicide.” Under the county Charter, the county counsel makes an independent decision on appealing such rulings.

Bouvia first gained wide attention with her death wish in 1983 when, as a patient in a Riverside hospital, she unsuccessfully asked a Superior Court judge to force the hospital to withhold nourishment while giving her routine hygienic care and painkillers.