A Texas lawmaker has proposed legislation to grant a legal guardian to an unborn children when the pregnant mothers is strategically on life support on the state.

The law stems from the case of over a year ago involving pregnant mother Marlise Munoz after her family was forced to go to court to remove her from life support.

In November of 2013, when Marlise Munoz was 14 weeks pregnant she suffered a pulmonary embolism. Her husband and her parents asked John Peter Smith Hospital (JPS) to discontinue all life-sustaining treatment for her, which would have resulted not only in her death, but that of her unborn baby.

Hospital officials refused the family’s request citing the Texas Advance Directives Act, a law which prohibits withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from a pregnant patient.

But the family vowed to take their request before a court alleging the unborn child was damaged and unhealthy.