Defending and protecting this sacred gift is no less profound an obligation.

In the ongoing controversy and legal action relating to Tinslee Lewis, my office has filed a brief in defense of little Tinslee’s life, arguing that the Texas Advance Directives Act (TADA) is unconstitutional, in addition to being barbaric and beneath the dignity of a civilized society.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with her case, Tinslee Lewis is a 9-month-old currently in ICU at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth after being born prematurely with a rare heart defect. She is being sustained on life support.

Her mother wishes to continue to treat Tinslee.

But the hospital’s ethics board, empowered by TADA, has made the decision to end treatment and let Tinslee die, against the wishes of her mom.­

Abuses of human dignity like this are why I got involved in politics…and why I continue to fight.

As I said in my press statement about this case…

“One of the core principles provided by the United States Constitution is that no person should be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law. This unconstitutional statute (TADA) infringes on patients’ right to life and does not allow patients and their families sufficient notice and the opportunity to be heard before physicians override the rights of their patients. Patients must be heard and justly represented when determining their own medical treatment, especially when the decision to end treatment could end their life.”

I have joined Texas Right to Life and many others in defending Tinslee’s life against this indefensible outcome.

Now I ask all of you to join me in prayer for the Lewis family, the judge overseeing her case, and the Texas lawmakers who must decide whether to keep this unjust and unconstitutional law on the books.