In early spring of 2021, the family of Grace Schara, a 19-year-old young woman with Down’s Syndrome, brought their daughter to an emergency room at the direction of an urgent care clinic due to wavering blood oxygen levels from COVID-19. According to her father Scott Schara, this was a grave mistake.
Schara claims the hospital, St. Elizabeth’s in Appleton, Wisconsin, became an adversary, not an ally, in treating Grace. The relationship broke down when the Schara’s were not convinced Grace needed to be put on a ventilator, a treatment encouraged by the federal government with financial incentives. Within a matter of days, Grace was dead. Her family discovered the physician put a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order in place and infused a combination of powerful anesthesia drugs into her system. As a result, they’ve filed a lawsuit claiming the hospital engaged in euthanasia.
Schara claims the hospital, St. Elizabeth’s in Appleton, Wisconsin, became an adversary, not an ally, in treating Grace. The relationship broke down when the Schara’s were not convinced Grace needed to be put on a ventilator, a treatment encouraged by the federal government with financial incentives. Within a matter of days, Grace was dead. Her family discovered the physician put a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order in place and infused a combination of powerful anesthesia drugs into her system. As a result, they’ve filed a lawsuit claiming the hospital engaged in euthanasia.
Schara insists that this lawsuit extends beyond mere malpractice. He says his family initiated the legal battle to highlight concerning issues related to hospital care, COVID-19 treatment policies, financial incentives, DNR orders, and the rights of the disabled. Supporting his argument, Scott shared three documents: Section 1553 of the Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148, March 28, 2010), which tackles the “prohibition against discrimination on Assisted Suicide,” a letter from Jennifer Garrett of the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services which refers to Chapter 154 of WS Statutes indicating there was no action against the physician who implemented the DNR order against Grace, and policy guidance from the Palliative Care Network of Wisconsin outlining how medical professionals should treat individuals with Down Syndrome. To learn more about Grace and her case, click here.
Scott also addressed his removal from the hospital by a security guard due to his stance of being “against medical advice.”
AnneMarie Schieber
AnneMarie Schieber is a research fellow at The Heartland Institute and managing editor of Health Care News, Heartland’s monthly newspaper for health care reform.
