TULSA, Okla. — Attorneys tell 2News Oklahoma courts have never seen a case quite like this.
A family in a years-long battle over whether their loved one wishes to keep using a feeding tube when she can no longer verbally communicate.
Allison White says her mother, Lynne, hasn’t spoken since 2018 and that communication is limited to blinking.
“At this point, she can not speak, walk, she can’t move her arms by herself,” she said.
As a 40-year educator in Norman, including the last years as principal, Lynne retired in 2011. She was in her early sixties when her health rapidly declined. Court records described the diagnosis as “various progressive, degenerative diseases.”
“It was sudden—she was running into windows at school,” said White. “She had a man that she didn’t know that she hit in the parking lot with her car and she had him come over and write himself a check.”
For years, Lynne’s sister, Amy Meyer was a caregiver but White was often concerned about the level of care. According to testimony, in 2021 Lynne was left alone overnight.
“No changing of her diaper, no checking on her, she had video cameras, that was her version of checking on her,” said White.
White said she found out through a separate daytime caregiver who showed up to find Lynne very sick. She was rushed to the hospital. White said she was immediately granted emergency guardianship. 24 hours later, Allison was left with a big decision.
“They were like, ‘your mom’s going to die or you have to put her on a feeding tube,’” she said.
Allison agreed to doctors inserting a feeding tube, but only because Lynne’s written and signed advanced healthcare directives requested it—but only for a maximum of three days and only to allow time to say goodbye to family.
That did not happen. What happened instead was a nearly three-year long court battle. Allison, along with her brother, fighting with their aunt over whether to have the feeding tube removed.
According to documents, Meyer believes her sister wanted to be kept alive—that she believed Lynne was concerned removing the feeding tube might mean a painful death.
The legal fight was taken all the way to the state supreme court. This month, a judge concluded that the feeding tube should be removed. However, the case is not necessarily over. 2News reached out to Amy Meyer and her attorneys who declined an interview but said they disagree with the ruling and are seeking relief. They have until February 25th to ask the court to rehear the case.
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