Hospital: Gary Coleman's Ex Had Medical Authority

By PopEater Staff Posted Jun 3rd 2010 08:05AM

The hospital where Gary Coleman spent his dying hours has issued a statement regarding the legality of Shannon Price making medical decisions for the 42-year-old actor, who she secretly divorced in 2008.

"Mr. Coleman had completed an Advanced Health Care Directive that granted Shannon Price permission to make medical decisions on his behalf if he was unable to do so," Utah Valley Regional Medical Center told E! Online. "An Advanced Health Care Directive remains in effect regardless of a patient's marital status."

The statement came hours after speculation ignited over Price's rights, as Coleman's ex-wife, to make medical decisions for the unresponsive actor.

Previously, Janet Frank, spokeswoman for the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, told PEOPLE, "Shannon certainly portrayed herself as his wife to our staff and doctors. We assumed she was telling the truth. We can't comment on specific details in Mr. Coleman's case, but in general, any patient on life support is thoroughly evaluated medically before life support is ended."

Regardless of the medical legalities, Coleman's former lawyer, Randy Kester, predicts further controversies over Price's authority. "I don't think anyone is looking at criminal wrongdoing here, but this raises the issue of the appropriateness of her making the decision to take him off life support," Kester told the New York Daily News. "They've been divorced since August 2008 but continued to be together. She might have subjectively felt she was still his wife."

Kester told Us Magazine, "Some people in the public are raising issues whether ... she has authority to be making funeral arrangements, and exactly where she fits into his estate."

The Coleman 911 tape was released to the press yesterday afternoon. On the tape, Price seems reluctant to help the actor, stating she didn't "want to be traumatized right now" since she had a fever.

Tags: Gary Coleman, Shannon Price

Comments

(41)

Friday 04 June

By ari

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everytime the black men get crazy and marry a white woman, the white woman help send them to an early grave if they think theres money to be gotten.He didnt get to make the changes cuz he thought they had disolved since the divorce. when you are divorced y0u are no longer in any kind of authority, unless it is written and legal. even if he and his parents didnt get along, they had the right to see there son and have a say so over his life and his death. they bore him into this world so they had a right to see him out and make things right between them . the stupid hospital should have known better and should be held half responsible for the call to take him off life support with out talking with his family members. maybe someone will do them that injustice wrong someday.i hope that b wont get a thing!

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