Hospital Gave Toddler 10 Days to Live, Threatened to Remove Life Support. Now She’s Home and Thriving

State   |   Kim Schwartz   |   Apr 12, 2022   |   6:58PM   |   Austin, Texas

Tinslee Lewis, the toddler given 10 days to live under an anti-Life Texas law, was released from the hospital Thursday, April 7, to go home with her family.

In November 2019, Tinslee became a victim of the deadly Texas 10-Day Rule, which places a 10-day countdown on patients’ lives after a hospital’s internal committee authorizes the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment against one’s will. Texas Right to Life’s patient advocacy team intervened on the ninth day of the 10-day countdown. Now, over 800 days later, Tinslee is alive, thriving, and growing. A happy and strong toddler, Tinslee’s health has so steadily improved that the hospital released her to go home.

Trinity Lewis, Tinslee’s mom, responded:

“We are so thankful for everyone who pulled together to help my daughter, including the doctors at Cooks, Texas Right to Life, our attorneys at Daniels & Tredennick law firm, Joe Nixon, Kassi Marks, and Protect Texas Fragile Kids. We have been cherishing and enjoying Tinslee being home, and we appreciate everyone who stepped up to help in any way as well.”

Tinslee Lewis’ story gained national attention when the deadly Texas 10-Day Rule was imposed on her at nine months old. Under the 10-Day Rule, hospitals may legally impose a countdown on patients’ lives against their own and their family’s will. So long as the hospital’s own ethics committee approves imposing the countdown, hospitals are legally allowed to end basic life-sustaining care (like a ventilator) to the patient. The sheer inhumanity, injustice, and cruelty of this Texas law was brought to light when the 10-Day Rule threatened the life of an innocent nine-month-old little girl.

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Tinslee’s success story shows that in the absence of an anti-Life countdown, families and hospitals can work together for the benefit of the patient. Tinslee has received excellent care from Cook Children’s Medical Center. It is with their efforts that Tinslee will now transition to home health care. Meanwhile, Texas Right to Life is committed to doubling our efforts in the Capitol and with our full time patient advocacy team to combat and stop the deadly 10-Day Rule from destroying the lives of more vulnerable patients like Tinslee.

Thank you for standing with Tinslee, and please continue to pray for the Lewis family and all patients victimized by the 10-Day Rule.

LifeNews Note: Kim Schwartz writes for Texas Right to Life, where this originally appeared.