The Right To Die

Man’s chief purpose it is Live, not to

I shall not waste my days trying to

n -- Jack London (1876-1916) (Burnell, p. 103)

Up until 1976, the right to die was not a consideration among terminally ill patients. Euthanasia was only thought of for animals. But ever since Karen Ann Quinlan case (1976), the right to die has been a controversial issue. It has opened the eyes of patients, their families, and their doctors. They all have their own opinions and aspects of the question, but those whose decisions should be respected? (Burnell, p.104)

This question is different for a terminally ill patient and for the person who is well. From the patient’s viewpoint, they should have the freedom to choose. If they have a short time before death then the death usually comes without complications of decision-making.

. . .
Best Interest Standard: This is based on those who know the patient and believe that it is in the best interest of the patient to remove life support. They attempted to revive her but failed. The lord gave and the Lord has taken away. A physician-assisted suicide would be one where the physician provides a lethal dose of medication. This method allows the individual to die without treatment, respirator, or any other means to prolong life. Her parents asked that the feeding tube be removed and she be allowed to die naturally. With the help of a rescue squad her breathing was restored and she was rushed to the hospital. One year later, on March 31, 1976 the Supreme Court granted the wishes of the Quinlans and Karen was removed from the respirator. Assisted suicide fits into this category. She depended on complete nursing care, a feeding tube and a catheter. Although Pope Pius XII agreed that physicians are not expected to use artificial respiration in situations that are considered “completely hopeless” (Burnell, p. Nancy Cruzan died within the following two weeks.

Common topics in this essay:
Ann Quinlan, Pius XII, Lord Job, Hospice Palliative, Supreme Court, Nancy Cruzan, Jersey Hospital, Quinlans Catholic, AD Burnell, Standard Based, supreme court, terminally ill, ill patient, karen ann, karen ann quinlan, terminally ill patient, ann quinlan, remove life support, remove life, passive euthanasia, life support, assisted suicide, feeding tube, determining someones die, someones die family,

Approximate Word count = 2131
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)

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