Posted on 02/27/2011 10:32:21 AM PST by wagglebee
One of the terrible things about euthanasia and food and fluids cases, is the readiness by which many are willing to make despairing totally disabled people dead, that is, people who are fully conscious but completely paralyzed. Indeed, recently Belgian doctors euthanized such a woman, and then a different set of doctors harvested her organs. We have also had bioethicists, who once said dehydration should be for people who are unconscious, turn around and say that locked in patients have an even greater claim to withholding food and fluids since they are aware of their helplessness.
But this readiness to believe such people can never enjoy their lives is belied by research indicating that most locked in patients are happy. From the story:
Taking into account the possible methodological challenges and limitations of QoL research, especially when dealing with LIS patients, our data show that a non-negligible group of chronic LIS survivors self-report a meaningful life and their demands for euthanasia are surprisingly infrequent. It is important to stress the discussed possible biases in our study. The observed results may hence not be representative of chronic LIS patients in general. It should also be noted that given the dependence of LIS participants on the help of a caregiver for communication of their answers, social desirability might have confounded patients’ responses. Nevertheless, in our view, these results are important as healthy individuals and medical professionals might assume that the comfort of a LIS patient is so limited that it is not worth living
Recall, Jean-Dominique Bauby wrote the book The Diving Bell and the Butterfly while locked in. He thought his life was very worth living.
Suicidal people who are in a locked in state should be offered suicide prevention services as we do most suicidal people. That many would instead say, “Sure, go ahead. I would too,” reflects our own fears and prejudices, and an (unintended) abandonment of people who might otherwise be helped to get past the darkness and back into the light.
It reflects the callousness of the culture of death.
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It is murder.
Death lovers with a spirit of murder. It is becoming spooky, as one used to go to the doctor to get well, now when one visits the doctor there is always the possibility that the doctor may decide that your “quality of life” warrants his intervention in ending your life.
Smith is so laughable.
People who say, “I would rather be dead than ...” (fill in condition of incapacity) are not, in fact, in that condition. If they ever are, they may wish they’d never spoken without serious thought.
I wouldn’t want to be like a 2-year-old, but Francisco is very happy as a 2-year-old. If he never grew any more mentally mature, he would still be happy, as long as he was fed, washed, clothed, and loved. Oh, the thrill of making a tall stack of just the blue blocks! Now just the green blocks! Oh, there’s Yellow Cat ... Meow!
Some of us with disabilities don’t have a choice in the matter. We’ve known nothing but. Saying that my life isn’t worth living, is not a decision that you get to make.
That was pretty much my point. Most people with disabilities seem determined to keep living ... unless they’re suffering from depression, in which case they should be treated for depression, not killed.
I’m glad some kind folks stick up for us.
Thank you!
You’re welcome. Everyone else’s life is just as valuable as mine, even if the other person is elderly, or has a disability, or is of another race, or is poor, or all of the above.
Thank you. One sense that “locked in” people have in spades is the sense of hearing. When the body isn’t functioning well or at a minimal level, the sense of hearing becomes, according to what I’ve read and some personal experience, very acute and focused.
Hearing books on tape, music, or people reading out loud would undoubtedly give great comfort and happiness to people in this condition.
I'm confused, are you saying that people with disabilities should be euthanized?
Oh, please.
Let's see, you said, "Smith is so laughable," in reference to his opposition to euthanizing the disabled.
I asked you what you meant and your response is, "Oh, please."
Why are you so afraid to stand up and state your beliefs?
I’m confused, too.
I’d like to be holier than those who advocate (or practice) killing the infirm. And if I’m ever incapacitated, I’d like the people who are caring for me to be too holy to kill me.
The “holier than thous” are the ones who believe they have the right to end a life because THEY view it as “useless”.
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