Alta Charo, professor of law and medical ethics at the University of Wisconsin Law School, said the key question is whether the patient is competent to make the call.
“Given that she is 28 years old, if she is competent, she has under any interpretation of U.S law, the right to be free of unwanted bodily intrusions,” Charo said. “That is law that dates back to the colonial period.”
Meanwhile, a steady stream of visitors arrives to pray for Lee — her two brothers, a cousin, members of her youth group.
In the hospital cafeteria, the Rev. Young Gab Hyun, a leader in the Council of Korean Churches of Greater New York, said many people in the Korean community see this as a culture clash.
“In the United States, when you’re over 18, the person becomes legal and independent. A person can decide all responsibilities on her own,” he said. “But in Korean culture . . . we believe that the decisions that the parents make have a lot more influence in this type of matter than herself.”
Grace’s brother Paul Lee, 30, said he’s surprised his sister is standing up to their parents.
“She was the only one who would always tell me, you should listen to our parents,” he said.