Angela Carder, “A.C.”, was first diagnosed as suffering from cancer at the age of thirteen. In the ensuing years she underwent major surgery several times, together with multiple radiation treatments and chemotherapy. She married when she was twenty-seven, during a period of remission, and soon thereafter became pregnant. She was excited about her pregnancy and very much wanted the child. Because of her disability, she was eventually referred to the High Risk Pregnancy Clinic at George Washington University Medical Center (GWUMC) for periodic check-ups and appointments. An x-ray revealed an inoperable tumor in her right lung. When asked by the doctors at GWUMC if she really wanted to have her baby, she replied that she did. Shortly thereafter, …show more content…
Counsel was appointed for A.C. and the fetus. A hearing held at the GWUMC concluded that A.C. would likely die within 24 to 48 hours, that she had a 50 to 60 percent chance of survival if the fetus was delivered via caesarean section. It also concluded that the state had a legitimate interest in protecting human life, and that the procedure may hasten the death of A.C., but waiting may harm the fetus. There was no evidence showing what exactly A.C. would have wanted. Using a balancing test, the trial court ordered the caesarean section procedure to be performed. Physicians informed A.C. of the decision and she stated she did not want it performed. However, physicians testified that she may not have been mentally or emotionally in a position to provide true informed consent. The procedure was performed and a baby girl, was delivered. The baby died a few hours later and A.C. died two days later (Thornton & Paltrow, …show more content…
Court of Appeals to vacate the order and its legal precedent, on grounds that the order had violated Carder's right to informed consent and her constitutional rights of privacy and bodily integrity. One hundred and twenty organizations joined amicus briefs (“friend of the court”) on Carder’s behalf, including the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Only two groups defended the forced surgery. One of them was the Americans United for Life. The other was the United Catholic Conference, now known as the USCCB. On April 26, 1990, the court issued the ruling In re A.C., which vacated the previous decisions and ruled that Angela Carder had the right to make health-care decisions for herself and her fetus (Thornton & Paltrow,