Free Republic

A new Utah amendment set to take effect on May 1 will prevent children from being assigned “do not resuscitate” (DNR) status without parental consent. Under the amendment, such an action will be considered “unprofessional conduct for physicians, advanced practice registered nurses (APRN), and physicians assistants.” HB-0200 modifies Titles 58 and 75, ensuring parental rights are protected during a minor’s life-sustaining medical treatment. “No child’s medical chart should have a DNR order or the withholding of life-sustaining treatment without parental knowledge or consent,” said Simon’s Law CEO and co-founder Sheryl Crosier. Sheryl and her husband Scott founded Simon’s Law when,...

Both the U.S. president and the pope himself have weighed in on the case of Charlie Gard, the British 10-month-old whose life support is set to be removed after rulings by European courts. Now some Kansas conservatives also are speaking up about the terminally ill baby, drawing comparisons to Simon’s Law, which went into effect Saturday in Kansas. “We believe every one of us is created in the image of God and has dignity, and that includes Charlie even though he’s sick and small,” said Eric Teetsel, president of the Family Policy Alliance of Kansas. “We believe he has the...

baby named Simon Crosier lived only 88.5 days due to an unwanted Do Not Resuscitate order, but his short life is being honored by a new bill in Missouri called “Simon’s Law.” When Simon was born with the genetic disorder Trisomy 18, some doctors labeled him as “incompatible with life.” Unsurprisingly, many mothers of children with the condition are encouraged to have abortions, but Simon’s parents refused. Even though babies with the condition tend to live less than a year, Simon’s mother Sheryl Crosier said she believes that their lives still should be fought for as hard and long as...