Posted on 06/13/2014 6:08:09 AM PDT by wagglebee
A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge reversed his own ruling, permitting Casey Kasem’s daughter, Kerri Kasem, to remove her father’s food and hydration (via feeding tube), which will result in his death by starvation and dehydration. Kasem’s wife of 33 years, Jean Kasem, is fighting for the life of her husband, with her attorney, Steve Haney, calling the judge’s decision, “the functional equivalent of a death sentence.”
Growing up in the 70’s, I was introduced to Casey Kasem’s easy to recognize voice as each week he counted down “American Top 40″ hits for almost four decades on a radio show heard around the world. Kasem was also the voice of the character Shaggy on “Scooby-Doo” cartoons for 40 years.
According to reports, Kasem is stricken with dementia and Parkinson’s; typically, treatable conditions. Once Kasem begins the process of dying by having his food and water removed, he will endure a death that no family member should ever have to witness. It is cruel and barbaric and could take days, and often weeks to play itself out, torturing not only the patient, but those who love him as well.In stark contrast, St. John Paul II who also had Parkinson’s, was afforded a feeding tube as part of his end of life care, and subsequently died naturally.
I watched my own sister, Terri Schiavo, anguish through almost two weeks without food or water and there are no words that can properly describe the inhumanity. In her last days, we would not permit our mother to visit Terri, in an effort to spare her additional torment, as blood pooled in Terri’s eyes, and her skin and lips were terribly cracked because her tissues were lacking any moisture. Terri’s body turned different colors of blue and yellow and her breathing became so rapid, it was as if she was outside sprinting. I could go on.
Indeed, the disagreement between Kasem’s family also raises the issue of the dangers of health care initiatives. It places the interpretations into the hands of “quality of life” minded family members, healthcare professionals, hospital boards and ethics committees, not to mention some Judges who have no regard for the dignity of human life.
Make no mistake about it, countless conscious and unconscious persons die by deliberate starvation and dehydration every year. Typically, we only hear of the cases in which there is a family disagreement or in cases where there is a celebrity involved. And with an accepting culture, laws that permit this behavior, and a government controlling our health care system under the guise of “compliance”, this scenario will become more common and the pre-mature death of our medically vulnerable loved ones will increase significantly.
We live in a very troubled and an increasingly dangerous America. Our culture has lost sight of God’s supreme right over when life begins and when it ends, and has “turned on its head” the true meaning and value of suffering and compassion.Those of us who wish to defend life in all stages, especially for the most vulnerable, are demonized when we ask the obvious question: where is the humanity in deliberately denying someone’s most basic rights – food and water? Tragically, what was once considered barbaric has now become part of everyday life.
This is precisely why I hope my demise happens instantly and I don’t see it coming. Good luck, Casey Kasem.
If he had made a directive stating that hydration and nutrition be withheld, then so be it.
Having a little experience in watching this happen, with the proper management of the terminally ill it is not barbaric or painful.
If these were his wishes, then let the man pass with some dignity. This is NOT being done against his will.
Agree. My mother has been very sick over the last few years. She’s a registered nurse and spent over 20 years taking care of senior patients, many with terminal illnesses. She has made it perfectly clear, verbally and written, that she wants no extreme measures to keep her alive. No feeding tubes, no intubations, written DNR etc. She’s watched too many unconscious elderly patients waste away over weeks and months full of tubes. We will respect her plainly stated wishes.
Is there ANY EVIDENCE that he did?
Having a little experience in watching this happen, with the proper management of the terminally ill it is not barbaric or painful.
Let me guess, it's "euphoric"?
If these were his wishes, then let the man pass with some dignity. This is NOT being done against his will.
Again, where is the evidence of this?
Or are you stating that someone with dementia somehow has the capacity to decide they want to be murdered?
You are ignorant. Who said it was euphoric.
If this man was alive in the 1840’s he would have been dead years ago. So, who is distorting the natural process? Feeding a man who cannot feed himself? Or letting gods natural rule take it’s course.
And the word “if” denotes a question, doesn’t it? Did you pass grammar school?
Instead of thumping your bible and passing judgements you know nothing about, I suggest you spend some time in nursing homes and you will see suffering.
It is actually simple.
Get the patient stabilized, then resume nutrients.
If the patient never stabilizes, that means they are dying and will die. Not of starvation.
Often they can stabilize and then can take nutrients again and live a lot longer.
Which is why living wills are so important.
I knew what my mom’s wishes were and honored them during her last few days.
“If this man was alive in the 1840’s he would have been dead years ago. “
Yeah. Might have died of small pox too.
Or an infection.
You have convinced me. No more antibiotics. No more vaccines. No more sterilized techniques. No more modern medicine
You are so wise.
The kids were disinherited
My folks both have advance directives. My mom wants food and water withheld at some point. My dad does not. He says it’s between him and God. These days don’t take anything for granted. If you want to be fed and watered put it in an advance directive.
The death mongers have long been using euphoria to push dehydration.
If this man was alive in the 1840’s he would have been dead years ago. So, who is distorting the natural process? Feeding a man who cannot feed himself? Or letting gods [sic] natural rule take it’s course.
Yet another favorite argument.
Feeding tubes have been in use for over 500 years, their EFFECTIVENESS has been greatly improved in recent decades because of advances in materials that are less prone to causing infections.
But, getting back to your question, do you also oppose the use of antibiotics to fight infections? What about surgery, do you shun that as well? What about Epi-pens for bee stings, do they "distort the natural process"?
And the word “if” denotes a question, doesn’t it? Did you pass grammar school?
All I asked is whether you had any actual evidence that he wanted to be murdered in this fashion.
Instead of thumping your bible [sic] and passing judgements you know nothing about, I suggest you spend some time in nursing homes and you will see suffering.
I've watched plenty of people die NATURAL DEATHS. Suffering is a part of life, BEING MURDERED SHOULD NOT BE.
Might I ask, what is YOUR solution to ending a person's suffering AND what is your criteria for imposing it?
all i know about the daughter is she was a Playboy model... she is really pretty... i do not get why she gets to determine what happens with her father instead of his wife.. didn't he have a living trust or a HCPOA, a Durable POA? if he did, and he left the decisions to Jean, then i do not get it...
No offense, but I thought that was common knowledge.
He was also Robin on the Superfriends, as well as the Justice League computer.
The other thing that all these busy bodies and know it alls seem to miss is that Kasem had written paperwork telling what his wishes were and the wife was ignoring those wishes. The daughter had power of attorney for health care...hence the judge’s ruling.
Moral of all such stories: Be sure you have SPECIFIC and precise details of what you want and what you don’t want done for (or to) you. Be sure you have selected a person who will carry out your wishes and directions.
My siblings did not like the choices I made for our mother’s final days. Too bad. Mom and I had long talks about all of it long before she was anywhere near passing from this veil of tears. She designated me to make decisions precisely because she KNEW that I would follow her wishes.
These are talks and discussions that ALL families should have sooner rather than later
You are an idiot.
I have been through this three times. How many times have you managed this process? It’s no euphoric, dying in any manner like this is horrific. Do you want your loved one to suffer in agonizing pain for months or days.
When you can tell me you have held their hand and looked into their eyes I will give you some credit.
Your manner is good for your conscience. Not the person dying. And he is dying. It’s a meter of pain and time.
So what is it? You’ve not been there because if you had an hour of time where I have been, you would be on the other side of this discussion. Your position is one of selfishness and sadism.
Legally, if they can prove that Jean was not following his wishes they could get her POA revoked. This would be the case with a living will or final directives which would be in the attorney’s possession.
I am stating there ARE times when the DPOA can be overruled. I do not know if that is the case here.
The democrip party along with the enabling of the republicants, have been successful in aborting the societal taboo structure of a once great Republic. Now we see what they are replacing it with. And there are literally tens of millions of adults in America who haven't a clue why the country is in turmoil and murder is rising among the sheeple.
Even the mention of God in federally funded schools (and that is all of public education now) is forbidden as criminal behavior, sexual degenerates dictate to society their conformity demands which expose the children of America to a constant barrage of degenerate behavior, and openly lying to the world is not only protected by the whoredom of media reporters but now considered states craft and vote worthy. Children have become the harvest to be reaped by sexual degenerates who are the most powerful in humanity ... and the media continues to cover up the truth of this evil at every level because they are owned by these same globalist oligarchs.
What was once considered barbaric is now common place indeed! Evil saunters across America free to do as it pleases for political correctness and tolerance to be served. A society that tolerates evil becomes evil in its heart.
Thanks for the ping!
Show me where is stated it was euphoric. That is poppycock.
My position is to follow the wishes of the patient.
When I have been engaged as the person with the legal authority, I based my decision to withhold feeding and hydration based on the intubation: there was no mental capacity. Organs were shutting down. There was absolutely no hope for recovery at all. Death was certain with or without continued support. In one case breathing was sporadic and we were one step away from ventilation. In another case morphine drips had started to quell the pain to the degree that more would have caused death.
I know what I am talking about.
I am not talking about someone that had ANY chance of recovery.
When you look into the eyes and the person begs you to make it stop, I dare you to allow the suffering to continue. You will have to answer to that person and the Almighty—who will ask you why you actively allowed this pain to continue.
I won’t discuss this any more with idiots who do not understand simple biology and the dying process. Just because you CAN do stuff, doesn’t mean you are obligated to do it beyond what is morally correct.
My grandmother had signed a directive that if she could no longer swallow, she was not to have any tubes or IVs. She probably died of a urinary tract infection that could have been treated with IV antibiotics. It was hard for me with my pro-life beliefs, to accept this decision, but even before the infection, she was unable to speak, feed herself or walk, and seemed unaware of her surroundings. Near the end it was given her to recognize her grandchildren, and she looked at us, one by one, with love.
It does seem to me that when food and fluids by artificial means are stopped, the patient should always be offered food and fluids by mouth, very carefully, as aspiration is a major issue. I do believe that often the very elderly and ill choose to stop eating, and that after looking for treatable issues (depression, painful throat, infection) that their wishes should be respected and artificial means should not be forced on them. If you have ever seen an old, frail, demented woman refuse to eat and repeatedly rip out IVs and her Foley catheter, and her family decide to have a gastric tube inserted and her hands restrained, you would weep.
I have also seen an old man come in with sepsis and low blood pressure. He was given large volumes of fluid and within the hour his lungs were filling with fluid, he was suffocating and desperate, and then he went into arrest. He had been going out so gently until then.
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