Husband Wants Her Pregnant Wife to be Off Life Support

A man whose wife is pregnant but is on life support wants her to be off of it, according to CNN.

Eric Munoz claims that he wants to fulfill her wife's wish to put her off life support and said that they have talked about it in the past. Marlise Munoz, 32, is suffering from a serious condition and is currently confined at the intensive care unit at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. She is unconscious and is only being sustained by a ventilator. "We talked about it, we're both paramedics," said Eric. "We've seen things out in the field. We both knew that we both didn't want to be on life support."

To make the situation even worse, Marlise is also carrying an unborn child in her womb, currently at 18 weeks. Texas state law prohibits withdrawing or withholding life-sustaining treatment from a pregnant patient, regardless of her wishes. Patients may be able to indicate their future preferences regarding medical treatment if they cannot communicate them through advance directives. However, in Texas, under the Health and Safety Code, such a form includes the provision "I understand that under Texas law this Directive has no effect if I have been diagnosed as pregnant."

Munoz confirmed that his wife suffered from pulmonary embolism which takes place when blood clots travel to the lungs from other parts of the body. They are still unaware how long the baby in the womb has been without nutrients and oxygen. The hospital has not yet disclosed any details about Marlise's condition. "We have a responsibility as a good corporate citizen here in Tarrant County to also provide the highest quality care we can for all of our patients," said J.R. Labbe, vice president of communications and community affairs for JPS Health Network.