AUSTIN, Texas — A woman in Texas says that her husband was denied treatment for COVID-19, was moved to a hospice, and then starved for six days after a doctor decided that his quality of life did not merit care due to his preexisting disabilities.
Michael Hickson 46, died on
June 11, eight days after he was admitted to St. David’s South Austin Medical
Center with pneumonia. He had contracted the coronavirus from a staff member at
his nursing home.
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| Michael Hickson |
Hickson, a Black man, developed
an anoxic brain injury and quadriplegia after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest
in 2017.
After he was admitted to St.
David’s South Austin, his wife, Melissa Hickson, said she recorded a
conversation she had with a doctor, where he explained that he did not want to
administer coronavirus treatment to her husband because of his concerns that
treatment would not improve Michael’s quality of life. Melissa posted the video
on YouTube [see below].
“So as of right now his
quality of life, he doesn’t have much of one,” says the unidentified doctor in
the recording.
Melissa replied “What do you
mean? Because he’s paralyzed with a brain injury he doesn’t have quality of
life?” she asked. The doctor replied “correct.”
Michael was given a
court-appointed guardian, Family Eldercare, while his wife and his sister were
engaged in a legal battle over which of them should be Michael’s permanent
guardian. Representatives from Family Eldercare made the decision to remove
Michael from the hospital and place him in a hospice.
The doctor informed Melissa
that the decision to withhold care was “what we feel is best for him along with
the state, and this is what we decided,” and that “this is the decision between
the medical community and the state.”
The doctor explained that he
did not wish to intubate Michael, which is what the protocol for administering
the treatment drug Remdesivir required. While Melissa agreed that she did not
wish to have Michael intubated either, she did not approve of him being moved
to hospice and asked for alternative treatments.
While in hospice, Michael did
not receive food or medical treatments, and was instead given painkillers until
his death six days later, she said. He died from untreated illnesses related to
the coronavirus.
In a separate YouTube video
posted by Melissa on June 29, she states that she was not permitted to FaceTime
her husband while he was in hospice, and that she was not informed of his death
for over 12 hours. She also claims that he was not visited by anyone from
Family Eldercare the duration of his hospice stay.
A statement from St. David’s
South Austin posted on their website offered condolences to the Hickson
family.
"The loss of life is
tragic under any circumstances. In Mr. Hickson’s situation, his court-appointed
guardian (who was granted decision-making authority in place of his spouse)
made the decision in collaboration with the medical team to discontinue
invasive care,” said the statement.
“This is always a difficult
decision for all involved. We extend our deepest sympathies to Mr. Hickson’s
family and loved ones and to all who are grieving his loss.”
Michael is survived by Melissa
and his five children.
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