Judge Allows for Casey Kasem's Daughter to Implement End-of-Life Measures for Ailing Radio Icon

"Transitioning our father’s treatment to comfort-oriented care was one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make," Kasem's children said in a statement

Casey Kasem's daughter has been given ultimate control over his medical care.

Against the wishes of Kasem's wife, Jean, a judge on Wednesday allowed for food, fluids and medication to be withheld from the ailing Kasem, effectively signing off on the implementation of end-of-life measures.

The 82-year-old is suffering from Lewy body dementia, a degenerative disease akin to Parkinson's.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daniel S. Murphy's decision reverses a ruling from Monday stating that Kasem should continue to receive food, fluids and meds until a court-appointed attorney had investigated the situation. Today he determined that continuing on like that would only cause the former American Top 40 host more pain.

Apparently quoting their father's stated wishes, the Kasem children said in a statement obtained by E! News: "The court's decision today upheld our father's explicit wishes as expressed by him in his health directive: 'If the extension of my life would result in a mere biological existence, devoid of cognitive function, with no reasonable hope for normal functioning, then I do not desire any form of life sustaining procedures, including nutrition and hydration....'

"Transitioning our father's treatment to comfort-oriented care was one of the hardest decisions we've ever had to make. 

"For the last 11 days, our father has been surrounded day and night by love and care by his daughters Kerri and Julie, his son Mike, his brother Mouner and sister-in-law Mary, and his dear friend Gonzalo Venecia. We continue to hope that Jean and Liberty will come join his family during this time."

Liberty is Jean and Casey's daughter, while Kerri, Julie and Mike are his kids with first wife Linda Myers. 

"It's just wrong," Jean's attorney, Steven Haney, told reporters after court.

Jean and Casey had been staying at a private residence in Washington when Kerri arrived with an ambulance crew on June 1 with the purpose of taking her father to a hospital. Jean was seen throwing a pound of raw hamburger meat in their direction before allowing them inside.

Murphy agreed with Kerri's assertion that Kasem's wife did him no favors by taking him to Washington and away from the care facility where he had been staying in California. His kids were the ones who alerted the world to Kasem's condition in October when they told the media that Jean wasn't allowing them to see their dad.

Haney maintained that his client "in no way contributed to Kasem's situation."