The Effects of Euthanasia

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The Effects of Euthanasia The case Wyatt v Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust hinges on the life of Charlotte Wyatt who was born three months prematurely weighing less than a pound with serious heart and lung problems that have resulted in her needing to be hooked up to an oxygen machine indefinitely. The crux of the case is that the doctors (Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust) do not want to resuscitate Charlotte should her body fail and Charlotte’s parents (Wyatt) want her to be resuscitated. The doctors have tried everything to improve Charlotte’s life and have come to the conclusion that her organs are so damaged that she is in constant pain. According to the doctors if her organs were to stop working, reviving her would only continue to keep her in a life full of pain. In addition, there is no chance of her life improving and therefore she would suffer constantly he whole life. They estimate that she will not continue to live beyond her infant years due to her internal damage. On the other side of the case we have the Wyatt’s who believe that Charlotte deserves every chance to live. When the case first went to the high courts in October 2003 she was unresponsive. However, contrary to what the doctors expected, she survived the winter and her parents report signs of improvement. Charlotte is not only able to make facial expressions such as smiling, but she also has limited hearing and she is able to reach out to people and touch them with her hands. The examination of this case must be a philosophical examination. In order to derive an answer from the information at hand the courts must consider what this case stands for from a philosophical standpoint. There are two basic points that they must consider. The first is sanctity of life... ... middle of paper ... ...ition, but the doctors have the most knowledge about Charlotte’s health. They are not murdering her by refusing to resuscitate. Rather, they are relieving her from suffering. From their point of view, the doctors are doing the right thing, and we agree that they have every right to refuse treatment in concordance with their Hippocratic Oath. Whether you side with the courts or the Wyatt’s, we all agree that this is a very tragic case. There are no easy answers, and our hearts are torn by the decisions that both Charlotte’s parents and the doctors have to face. One thing that both parties want is to uphold the sanctity of life. Her parents want Charlotte to live, but she had technically died three times already. Charlotte must be living in agony. From our perspective, we agree that nature should take its course so that Charlotte can finally rest in peace.

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