Cook Children’s Files Brief After Tinslee Lewis Family Appeals Judges Order to End Life Support

FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF)- The fate of an 11-month-old baby in Fort Worth is now in the hands of an appeals court.

The family of Tinslee Lewis appealed after a judge gave Cook Children’s Medical Center the green light to remove the baby from life support. Cook Children’s just filed a brief on why this ruling should be upheld.

Joe Pojman with Texas Alliance for Life says Tinslee is terminally ill and doctor’s have done the best they can to save her but keeping her on life support is just hurting her more.

“We think the law is very clear.. Doctor’s should not have to order nurses to perform medical interventions that harm patients even when the family, with all good intentions, thinks that’s the best thing,” said Pojman. “Family are not doctors,” he said.

In the brief, the hospital states, continuing treatment goes against physician’s ethical or moral beliefs.

“The most humane and medically ethical position is to remove those interventions which is causing this baby pain and suffering day by day,” Pojman said. “Continuing to do medical interventions and forcing that baby to stay alive is harming Tinslee,” he said.

The appellate court will now determine if they will have oral arguments or if they will just make a decision. A timeline on all of that is unknown.

You can read the full brief filed by Cook Children’s Medical Center here:

2020 01 21 – FILED CORRECTED Brief of Appellee