Physician Assisted Suicide Case Study

Dr. Teagle will clean out the artery to the brain and thus eliminate a major stroke or senility. He says that the chances for success are 80-20. He adds that Orval will be better off no matter how the surgery turns out. “If your father dies in surgery, it will be quick and painless, but if the surgery is successful, he will once again have the use of his kidney and will return to normal.” The doctor promises not to use any machines to sustain Orval’s life artificially for more than 5 or 6 days after the surgery. Jerry’s conversation with Dr. Teagle ends with Jerry saying that both he and Gwen are all for the surgery and that they will talk with Virginia. Jerry calls Gwen and discusses the fact that Virginia does not want Orval to have the surgery. They decide to go up to the hospital and talk with Virginia. During the phone conversation between Jerry and Dr. Teagle, the doctor tells Jerry that it is very hard to talk to

Jerry tells Virginia that Orval wants the surgery. Virginia, very upset, says that Orval had said the same thing to her that morning. She then abruptly takes her purse and announces that she is going down to eat. Jerry will later learn that earlier that day Virginia had talked to Dr. Teagle and had learned that the cleaning of the artery to Orval’s brain could not be done because of his weak heart. When Virginia returns Sue and Jerry are sitting at Orval’s bedside, but he still has not awakened. Virginia enters and does not speak. She sits at the end of the bed and files her nails. Jerry gets up and goes to the bathroom. When he returns, Virginia is gone. Jerry finds out later that Virginia left to spend the evening at the Fox Theater in St. Louis. Could it be guilt feelings that made her act so unfriendly and cold? Or is it that she doesn’t want Orval’s surgery unless he returns him to the way he was in the earlier years of their