A terminally ill Douglaston woman has decided to stay on life support, according to several published reports, after an appeals court ruling last Friday found her family could not veto her decision to pull her own plug.
Grace Sung Eun Lee — a paralyzed brain cancer patient — had made major headlines over the last few weeks over her original desire to die by being released of life support measures, despite a push from her parents to keep her alive and ensuing legal battles to take over her right to make medical decisions.
Lee’s highly devout parents — Man Ho Lee, a pastor of Antioch Missionary Church in Flushing, and his wife, Jin Ah Lee — feared their daughter’s decision to remove vital breathing and feeding tubes would be suicide and a sin, reports said. Her father, who argued Lee’s current state renders her incompetent, had been fighting in court to be her legal guardian but dropped the case Tuesday, October 9.
The 28-year-old has renewed her will to live, according to a YouTube video the family posted that shows Lee verbally communicating that she wants to be moved immediately to a nursing home. The 24 second clip published Thursday, October 4, also shows Lee saying she is willing to sign her medical proxy over to her father.
Lee’s lawyer could not be reached for comment. Her father, who speaks limited English, only told The Courier he believes his daughter is “getting better.”
