An appeals court has rejected a request from the parents of a terminally ill Queens woman to force her to remain on life support.
The Rev. Manho Lee and Jin-ah Lee had fought to keep the tubes in their daughter, Grace Sung Eun Lee.
The paralyzed 28-year-old woman had said she wants to die.
Doctors at Long Island's North Shore University Hospital said they would like to respect Lee's wishes and remove her feeding and breathing tubes.
But Lee's devout Christian parents had said that would be suicide and would keep her from going to heaven.
The Korean immigrants also claimed heavy medications have clouded their daughters thinking.
They posted a video on YouTube on Thursday that, they say, showed their daughter wants to live.
In it, Lee is asked, "When do you want to leave for the nursing home?" and her answer is "Now."
David Smith is a court appointed lawyer working on the Queens woman's behalf.
"She understands she will die if the ventilator is disconnected and that is not only what she wants but she wants it right now," Smith says.
Before she became ill with brain cancer last year, Lee was working as a financial manager and was training to run the New York City Marathon.
"No one questions the depth of their commitment or the depth of their love to their daughter, Smith says. "It is none-the-less, it is the leading contributing factor to both her anxiety and lack of peace as the dying process is occurring."
Sunday, May 19 2013 12:13 AM EDT2013-05-19 04:13:53 GMT
The NYPD says a 14-year-old girl was shot and killed on a Queens MTA bus Saturday night. The incident happened around 8:50 p.m. on board the Q-6 bus on Sutphin Avenue and Rockaway Boulevard
The NYPD says a 14-year-old girl was shot and killed on a Queens MTA bus Saturday night. The incident happened around 8:50 p.m. on board the Q-6 bus on Sutphin Avenue and Rockaway Boulevard
Thursday, May 16 2013 6:47 PM EDT2013-05-16 22:47:54 GMT
The MTA and Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the A train subway will run its route all the way to the Rockaways starting May 30, seven months after Superstorm Sandy washed away the track support bed.
The MTA and Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the A train subway will run its route all the way to the Rockaways starting May 30, seven months after Superstorm Sandy washed away the track support bed.
Thursday, May 16 2013 6:06 PM EDT2013-05-16 22:06:34 GMT
A smuggling ring that made a fortune selling more than a million cartons of untaxed cigarettes in New York may have funneled some of the illicit proceeds to terrorist groups, authorities said.
A smuggling ring that made a fortune selling more than a million cartons of untaxed cigarettes in New York may have funneled some of the illicit proceeds to terrorist groups, authorities said.
Thursday, May 16 2013 1:17 PM EDT2013-05-16 17:17:42 GMT
Several New York lawmakers are sounding the alarm about security and safety lapses at day care centers across New York City.
Several New York lawmakers are sounding the alarm about security and safety lapses at day care centers across New York City. In a report released Thursday, dozens of daycares cited by the Dept. of Health for serious and critical health code violations since 2010, have not fixed the problems and continue to operate without penalty.
Wednesday, May 15 2013 11:08 PM EDT2013-05-16 03:08:35 GMT
A judge in Manhattan put the brakes on the so-called Taxi of Tomorrow because the Nissan-built minivan does not come in a hybrid version -- a violation of the city code.
A judge in Manhattan put the brakes on the so-called Taxi of Tomorrow because the Nissan-built minivan does not come in a hybrid version -- a violation of the city code.
Tuesday, May 14 2013 9:54 PM EDT2013-05-15 01:54:43 GMT
The FDNY must subject itself to court supervision for five years to ensure it does not discriminate against blacks and Hispanics in its hiring practices, a federal appeals court said.
The FDNY must subject itself to court supervision for five years to ensure it does not discriminate against blacks and Hispanics in its hiring practices, a federal appeals court said.
Tuesday, May 14 2013 3:59 PM EDT2013-05-14 19:59:22 GMT
USDA photo
The tree-killing Asian longhorned beetle has been eradicated from Manhattan and Staten Island, but remains a problem in Brooklyn, Queens, and parts of Long Island.
The tree-killing Asian longhorned beetle has been eradicated from Manhattan and Staten Island, but remains a problem in Brooklyn, Queens, and parts of Long Island, according to state agriculture officials.
