The Region - News from June 6, 1986

The state Supreme Court let stand a state Court of Appeal ruling that quadriplegic Elizabeth Bouvia should be allowed to die by refusing forced feeding. The higher court refused to hear an appeal of the decision that Bouvia, 28, has a right to refuse any medical treatment, including the feeding. The Court of Appeal had concluded that whether to receive treatment “is a moral and philosophical decision that, being a competent adult, is hers alone.” Bouvia, almost totally paralyzed by cerebral palsy and suffering painful arthritis, had asked the Los Angeles Superior Court to order removal of a nasogastric tube inserted against her will in January by physicians who said they could not ethically allow her to die. Recently, she was transferred to County-USC Medical Center from High Desert Hospital in Lancaster.