Andrea Clark will live

Secondhand Smoke reports I have just heard from Jerri Ward: St. Luke's has agreed to continue to provide Andrea Clark life sustaining treatment under the auspices of the new doctor. Here is her letter:

"I want to let you know that St. Luke's is doing the right thing in this case now.

I am happy that they are going to allow a new doctor to take over that does not think her case is futile, which was they excuse they were going to use to kill her, but I think it is giving them too much credit to say they are doing the right thing. They would not have done so if it had not been for the many bloggers picking up on this an blogging about it.

The physician team met with the new attending and it went well. The team is on board and the medical futility procedure has been stopped. For the time being, Andrea will continue to receive life-sustaining and appropriate treatment at St. Luke's.

St. Luke's, and the involved physicians, are to be commended for reconsidering and deciding to continue Andrea's care."

Hat's off to Jerri and Andrea's family for their indomitable defense of the intrinsic worthiness of the life of Andrea Clark. And to those people who cared enough to let the world know that futile care theory is not going to be swallowed without a fight.