ADF attorneys help reverse hasty decision to end hospitalized war veteran’s life

PHOENIX — Jesse Ramirez will have an opportunity to recover after attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund helped reverse a hasty decision that would have ended his life.

"Everyone deserves a chance to recover from an injury, and now Jesse has that chance," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Byron Babione.  "Jesse put his life on the line for us during the Gulf War.  The least that should be done for Jesse and his family is to give him a chance to recover."

ADF attorneys helped secure the restoration of food and water to the Gulf War veteran earlier this month after he suffered multiple injuries in a car accident on May 30.  After just 10 days in an intensive care unit, his food, water and antibiotics were withheld and remained so for five days.  Food and water was restored shortly after ADF filed a lawsuit, and now Ramirez will be transferred to a rehabilitation facility.

Jesse was recently examined by a neurologist. The guardian at litem stated in open court Tuesday that Jesse is now responding to voice commands, knows who he is, and knows who his family is.

"The decision to withhold food and water was hasty and wrong under Arizona law.  Jesse had only ten days--about 240 hours--before his feeding tube was removed," said Babione, who argued before an Arizona judge on behalf of Ramirez’s sister, Marlene, on June 14.

The hearing Tuesday in the case Ramirez-Oliva v. Ramirez was held at the Superior Court of the State of Arizona in Maricopa County.

ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.