This case study describes the difficult decisions and agony that Frank and Anita had to face in August of 2000 when their daughter Chanou was born with an extremely rare, incurable metabolic disorder. Because of the disorder, Chanou had an abnormal bone development that brought about a constant pain that prevented her parents from even touching her without causing increased pain. After months of watching their precious daughter suffer, they knew they had to do something to help their daughter. She had even begun to reject the food that was being given to her through her feeding tube. Doctors agreed to allow passive euthanasia by stopping Chanou’s feeding tube. There are at least 15 suffering babies each year in Holland, that doctors have to put their license on the line for if the parents give consent to help their baby die. There has been a committee developed to make Holland the first country to legalize “baby euthanasia.” Anti-euthanasia opponents have warned doctors of a “slippery slope” of the parents and doctors who are the surrogate decision-makers. It is said that, regardless of the law, “baby euthanasia” happens anyways. Eduard Verhagen has recognized the practice and has forced the government to confront the issue. Verhagen’s “Groningen protocol” has been adopted as the standard and will be endorsed by the regulatory committee. To discuss the questions concerning Verhagen’s thought process concerning the justification and moral righteousness of “baby euthanasia,” I have an adamant decision. Regarding whether to leave a child with only a few days or weeks to live in a state of suffering until their natural death? I would respond “no”. It is not fair for a baby, especially one who has a severe debilitating disord... ... middle of paper ... ...surance would open the door to possible rampant abuse by those perhaps seeking early insurance money or selfish relief from the financial or other burdens associated with such situations. I fully realize the sensitivity of these issues. There are those who would question my beliefs in this regard and of course my own morals. It would be easy for me to say that they don’t share my empathy for the physical torture of some terminal diseases, but that would be unfair. For some, their beliefs make it an issue that is black and white. They believe no one has the right to take a life other than God Himself. I appreciate their belief, but my own life experience leads me to think a bit differently. It was not an easy decision for us to support the heavy sedation of our own loved one, but given her anguish, to us it was and remains the morally right and caring thing to do.
There are several important ethical issues related to euthanasia. One is allowing people who are terminally ill and suffering the right to choose death. Should these people continue to suffer even though they really are ba...
Which decisions about dying are morally acceptable to concernd Christians, and which ones go beyond morally acceptable limits? Which medical practices and public policies allow for more humane treatment for those who are dying and which ones open the door to abuse and the violation of human dignity? Proposals in various states to legalize physician-assisted death [3] point to renewed interest in these old questions. ELCA members, congregations, and institutions need to address these questions through prayer and careful reflection.
The word “euthanasia” comes from the Greek words “eu” meaning good or well and “thanatos” meaning death. Euthanasia means to take a deliberate action with the express intent of ending a life in order to relieve intractable suffering. Belgium has passed a law that allows euthanasia for terminally ill children experiencing “constant and unbearable suffering” who can show a “capacity of discernment”. This has sparked many debates about whether child euthanasia is moral and whether it should be legal or not. Although child euthanasia is a way for a child to escape “constant and unbearable” suffering or to avoid suffering through a terminal illness, child euthanasia should not be legal because children do not possess the mental capacity to make a request for such an irreversible decision, a child may choose to die because they fear that they are burdening others, and the requirements in place to request euthanasia may not be sufficient enough to protect against misuse.
Aiding the death of infants is a much disputed controversy in healthcare. H. Tristram Engelhardt Jr. provides an ethical view that there is a moral duty not to treat an impaired infant when this will only prolong a painful life or would only lead to a painful death. It is these individuals, like Engelhardt, who must defend this position against groups who consider that we have the ability to prolong the lives of impaired infants, thus we are obligated to do so.
There is great debate in this country and worldwide over whether or not terminally ill patients who are experiencing great suffering should have the right to choose death. A deep divide amongst the American public exists on the issue. It is extremely important to reach an ethical decision on whether or not terminally ill patients have this right to choose death, since many may be needlessly suffering, if an ethical solution exists.
Nolan, Jenny. "Legalized Euthanasia in the Netherlands Raises Serious Ethical Concerns." The Ethics of Euthanasia. Ed. Nancy Harris. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. 56-59. Print. Rpt. of "Dutch Legalize Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide." National Right to Life News 28 (2001): n. pag.
In the Netherlands, courts have begun to permit the administration of lethal injections to terminally ill patients (Jacoby 101). To many people, this is a barbaric practice. To others, it is the only humane thing to do. When a person is dying of a terminal illness with no hope of recovery, that person should be allowed to die if they wish. Deliberately keeping them alive to endure the pain and suffering of their illness is the barbaric practice. If they wish death, death should be given to them. Activists for the "Right to Life" don't stop to consider the right to die. I believe that the Right to Die is as sacred a right as the Right to Life. People ...
Teri Schultz overviews opposing professional opinions regarding Belgium’s new proposed law, which potentially gives terminally ill children the option of Euthanasia. Schultz compares pediatrician Olivia Williams’ opinion and Els Van Hoof’s opinion. Williams spends her life saving desperately ill children’s lives, but says kids deserve this option. “If you go to a geriatric ward, patients with the same quality of life and the same life expectancy as a 6-year-old with bone cancer, you wouldn’t let them suffer, when they ask you to go, you’d let them go,” (Schultz, 2). Olivia Williams supposes if children suffer enough and consider death, they should be given that option. Her morals say making them suffer is not humane or right. She questions the difference between making children and
Every person that lives in pain deserves to have the chance to put it all to an end. Some people are debilitated and can’t even feed themselves. Everything in their life has to be done for them and with assistance. Some people prefer to be dead rather than ...
Assisted- physician suicide also goes by many names such as euthanasia. 'Euthanasia' rings an enormous bell as the same structure used during the holocaust in the 1940s. The difference between now and then is the innocent lives lost because of their inc...
Doctors’ and physicians’ technical ambition is purely to treat patients that they encounter. This common knowledge contributes to the obvious position that stands against physician-assisted suicide, also known as euthanasia. There are several forms of euthanasia being practiced today. Some forms include a more commonly used phrase “pulling the plug” for when a patient is in a vegetable state and the family or physicians have to make the choice of removing o...
Euthanasia is a serious political, moral and ethics issues in society. People either strictly forbid or firmly favor euthanasia. Terminally ill patients have a fatal disease from which they will never recover, many will never sleep in their own bed again. Many beg health professionals to “pull the plug” or smother them with a pillow so that they do not have to bear the pain of their disease so that they will die faster. Thomas D. Sullivan and James Rachels have very different views on the permissibility of active and passive euthanasia. Sullivan believes that it is impermissible for the doctor, or anyone else to terminate the life of a patient but, that it is permissible in some cases to cease the employment of “extraordinary means” of preserving
There are two methods of carrying out euthanasia, the first one is active and the second one is passive. Active euthanasia means the physicians deliberately take actions which cause the death of the patients, for example, the injection of sedatives in excess amount. Passive euthanasia is that the doctors do not take any further therapies to keep the ill patients alive such as switching off the life supporting machines [1]. This essay argues that the legalization of the euthanasia should not be proposed nowadays. It begins by analyzing the problem that may cause in relation to the following aspects: ‘slippery slope’ argument, religious view, vulnerable people and a rebuttal against the fair distribution of medical resources. This essay concludes that the legalization of the voluntary euthanasia brings more harm than good.
Questions will always be present in an attempt to reason if euthanizing a person is an act of mercy or murder, and what situations fall under murder or mercy. The Christian worldview believes that suffering in life is a necessity much like God suffered for humanity’s sins through his human form of Jesus Christ who was crucified to pay ransom for man’s wrongs. Christian’s also believe that God has a plan for humanity despite the suffering that they must face. Euthanasia should not be used in Joni’s case because she is not facing a terminal illness. The family needs to reach out to local church members and pastors to help form a positive relationship in aid of reversing the negative thoughts. Emphasis on positive role models affected by suffering should be introduced to her such as the cases of Bethany Hamilton and Amy Purdy. There are studies that are progressing science in the direction of one day reversing paralysis through synthetic molecules to promote nerve growth. There is a possibility that if Joni’s wishes to be euthanized are not met, then she may attempt voluntary suicide. There are other beliefs that may not see euthanasia as an intolerable act of murder and sin, such as Atheism as they do not believe in God. To suffer is to be human, to accept suffering as a way to make a person stronger creates a lasting connection with the love and compassion of
Patients who have a terminal illness and are in immense pain should have the right to choose to end their lives and those that assist them shouldn't be prosecuted. Animals can be free from suffering, so why torture people? It is a compassionate response to relieve the suffering of dying patients, everyone has a right for suicide, because a person has a right to determine what will or will not be done to his body, and If there is a right to life then people have a right to dispose of that