NY court: Ailing woman can be taken off respirator

NEW YORK (AP) - An appeals court has ruled that a terminally ill New York City woman can allow doctors to remove her from a respirator if she wishes.

The decision Friday rejects a request by the woman's parents. They were seeking an order preventing a Long Island hospital from granting 28-year-old Grace Sungeun Lee's request.

Her court-appointed lawyer says she has indicated she no longer wants to remain on life support. But she has yet to formally request doctors do so.

Hospital officials have said Lee is competent to make her own medical decisions.

Lee's devout parents dispute that. They say it would be suicide and would keep her from going to heaven.

Before she became ill with brain cancer last year, Lee worked as a financial manager. Now she is paralyzed.