On behalf of Attorney General Ken Paxton and Governor Greg Abbott, Texas Solicitor General Kyle Hawkins today argued before the Second Court of Appeals, fighting to protect baby T.L.’s life and halt a Texas law that allows physicians, along with an ethics or medical committee, to cease life-sustaining treatment against a patient or caregiver’s wishes.
“I urge the court to protect the life of this baby girl while her family members are given the opportunity to tell their side of the story and fight for their daughter. Patients must be heard and justly represented when it comes to determining their medical treatment, especially when their life is at risk,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Life is the first constitutionally protected interest, and this case is a matter of life and death for a defenseless child. This baby girl, like all Texans, must be afforded the rights she deserves.”
In November 2019, Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas denied the baby’s mother’s request to continue life-sustaining treatment without first providing due process of law, directly violating her wishes and her daughter’s right to life. The family seeks an order from the court that will prevent the hospital from ignoring their wishes and ending their daughter’s life.