A judge has extended a temporary restraining order preventing physicians from taking a 10-month-old girl off life support at Fort Worth, Texas-based Cook Children's Medical Center, according to CBS 11.
Tinslee Lewis was born prematurely at Cook Children's with a rare heart defect called Ebstein anomaly, chronic lung disease and severe chronic pulmonary hypertension. The infant requires full respiratory and cardiac support, along with deep sedation to keep her medically paralyzed.
Last month, the hospital attempted to invoke Texas' "10-day rule," which gives a family 10 days to transfer a patient after a hospital decides to end life-sustaining treatment. However, a judge granted an order keeping the infant on life support until Dec. 10. The judge has now extended the injunction through the new year due to a "reasonable expectation" that the family can find a different physician to care for Tinslee.
Trinity Lewis, Tinslee's mother, testified Dec. 12 that her daughter is conscious, "sassy" and loves cartoons. However, physicians at Cook Children's say the girl is suffering and will never improve.
"We have reached out to more than 20 well-respected healthcare facilities and pediatric cardiac specialists who have the specialized training to continue Tinslee's care, and upon their review, each medical team declined to accept her as a patient," the hospital said in a statement cited by CBS 11.
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