Oh, to have been a fly on the wall in Gary Coleman's hospital room.
It turns out that Coleman signed a health care directive in 2006 which specifically stated that in the event he was incapacitated, he wanted to be kept alive.
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, the former child star checked a box marked "Choice To Prolong Life" that read: "I want my life to be prolonged as long as possible within the limits of generally accepted health care standards."
But what's more revealing, however, is what Gary didn't check. . .
Coleman left blank the box next to "Choice Not To Prolong Life." That option states: "I do not want my life to be prolonged if (1) I have an incurable and irreversible condition that will result in my death within a relatively short time, (2) I become unconscious and, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, I will not regain consciousness, or (3) the likely risks of treatment would outweight the expected benefits."
Despite his wishes, only a day after the Diff'rent Strokes star was admitted to a Provo, Utah, hospital after suffering a brain hemmorhage from a fall at his home, his live-in ex-wife, Shannon Price, decided to take him off life support, claiming in the documents that she was "forced" to do so.
Price hasn't explained what she means by "forced."
Legal experts say doctors more often than not ask for agreement from family members in these kinds of situations. So it's possible Coleman's physicians deemed his condition untenable and advised her of that and she acquiesced.
Coleman was plagued by numerous maladies over the years, including congenital kidney disease.
His onetime missus filed the paperwork with the court as part of her claim over the TV icon's body. The legal document lists her as having power of attorney to make health care decisions on his behalf so we can only assume she had the proper information to make such a momentous decision.
A rep for Price was unavailable for comment.
In related news, Coleman's death certificate is finally out and lists as the cause a "closed head injury" along with "chronic renal failure." The document also shows the late actor's marital status as "married" despite the fact that he and Price divorced in 2008.
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