STATEMENT FROM CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL ON DEC. 29 SENT TO CHRIS DOLAN, ATTORNEY FOR FAMILY OF JAHI MCMATH:
Children’s Hospital Oakland continues to support the family of Jahi McMath in this time of grief and loss over her death. We continue to do so despite their lawyer’s criticizing the very hospital that all along has been working hard to be accommodating to this grieving family."
We have been waiting since Friday 12/27--when we were first told by the family lawyer of a potential facility that might accept the body of Jahi--for a call from a physician to discuss with our medical staff what may be necessary to transfer the deceased. Our physicians have yet to receive a single call or message from the facility under consideration.
The letter/email below was sent to Chris Dolan, the McMath family lawyer, at approximately noon today, Dec. 29, by Children’s Hospital Oakland’s attorney Douglas Straus:
Chris,
I learned from your statements to the media that the Southern California sub-acute facility will not accept Jahi McMath’s body because the physicians there do not want to treat a dead body. Children’s Hospital understands that this is a very difficult time for Jahi’s family. Children’s will continue to do what it can do to support the family. In that regard, Children’s position has been consistent:
1. Children’s will be pleased to communicate directly with a physician at any facility that is considering accepting Jahi’s body to make sure Children’s understands the requirements set by that facility for accepting the body and to ensure that the facility understands the current condition of the dead body and what is being done to maintain it under Judge Grillo’s temporary restraining order. Of course, the family’s representatives can observe that communication.
2. Children’s needs to be assured that there is a lawful transportation plan to any facility to which transfer is proposed.
3. If the proposed facility is out-of-state, Children’s needs written assurances from the Coroner that their office will allow the transfer.
To date, there has been no communication from any facility named by you regarding a transfer or requirements for transfer with any of the medical professionals at Children’s. The family has not identified any facility with which Children’s can have this dialogue. Nor have we been provided with a transportation plan or coroner authorization.
As your email and your statements about the facility in the Los Angeles area acknowledge, discussion about performing medical procedures upon a dead body presents unusual and complicated questions. Until there is a definite commitment by a facility to accept Jahi’s body upon specified terms, I don’t think I can tackle those issues. Please let me know if the family is able to identify a facility.”
Doug Straus
