Terri Schiavo In the landmark case of Terri Schiavo, the ethical dilemma of withdrawing life support was put on trial.
Terri Schiavo In the landmark case of Terri Schiavo, the ethical dilemma of withdrawing life support was put on trial. Terri suffered irreversible brain damage due to self-inflicted malnutrition. She was placed on life support and went through several years of therapy. After 15 years, her husband’s court-appointed doctors determined that she would most likely not recover and her life support should be discontinued. Terri did not have a living will, so the courts did not have a legal document on which to base a decision. Terri’s parents argued that life support and therapy efforts should be continued. The case became a media sensation and resulted in the removal, reinsertion, and then final removal of the feeding tube. An autopsy after her death showed that brain damage was much more severe than they had originally suspected and that recovery would most likely not have occurred. Without a living will, the decision to withdraw life support can be fraught with legal and ethical complications (Schindler v. Schiavo, 2001).
Angela Carder After several years of battling bone cancer, 27-year-old Angela Carder became pregnant. The cancer had been in remission for 3 years. During the 25th week of pregnancy, a tumor was found in Angela’s lung. At the beginning ofAngela’s pregnancy, she had clearly expressed her wish to have cancer treated if it resurfaced—even at the risk of her fetus. Surgery was not an option, leaving only chemotherapy and radiation in an effort to prolong Angela’s life. A decision was made not to induce an early delivery because the infant would be too premature. Angela’s health deteriorated, which adversely affected the fetus. The hospital administrator was informed of the situation and expressed concern that only a court order could prevent the delivery of a potentially viable fetus. Although Angela’s parents and doctors supported her decision to delay delivery and start treatments to fight the tumor, the hospital required a court order to obey her wishes. Angela was clearly near the end of life but was still able to express her wishes when the court ordered a surgical delivery. The decision was based on the life of a patient dying from cancer versus a potentially viable fetus. Angela verbalized her disagreement with the court, knowing that she would most likely not survive the surgery. The fetus died within 2 hours and Angela Carder died 2 days later. She never received the chemotherapy or radiation treatment requested. After her death, the Estate of Angela Carder took the issue to the Washington DC Court of Appeals, which ruled that women have a constitutional right to informed consent. This means that medical procedures cannot be completed without consent. They also ruled that the rights of a pregnant mother come before the rights of the fetus (Murphy, n.d.).
Jack Kevorkian Jack Kevorkian was a doctor and scientist fascinated with the dying process. Starting with a patient who had Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Kevorkian reportedly assisted 130 suicides over the course of 8 years. He invented a machine that allowed patients to self-administer lethal doses of medication in order to end their lives. In an effort to stop his practices, the state of Michigan suspended his medical license and passed a law making assisted suicide illegal. This law was challenged, but the Michigan Supreme Court upheld the law in 1994, stating that assisted suicide was a felony because of common law. (Common law is based on previous court decisions related to the same subject.) They also stated that Michigan’s Constitution did not include any protection for suicide assistance. After numerous trials, a Michigan court finally convicted Dr. Kevorkian of second- degree murder in 1999. In this trial, evidence included a videotape that Dr. Kevorkian had sent to the television show 60 Minutes. In the video, Dr. Kevorkian is shown administering lethal drugs to a patient, which resulted in his death. Dr. Kevorkian was in prison until 2007. His release was contingent on a promise not to assist with any more suicides. He passed away in 2011. Dr. Kevorkian’s actions were controversial, and they opened the door for state lawmakers to consider the rights of dying patients (Schneider, 2001).
There are four types of advance directives listed in your text. Please list and describe them. Identify the type of advance directive Terri Schiavo could have used to avoid the legal battles surrounding the end of her life.
Explain the difference between withholding and withdrawing treatment. Which method was used to end Terri Schiavo’s life?
In the case of Angela Carder, what type of tort might have been committed (assault, battery, fraud, defamation of character, false imprisonment, or invasion of privacy)? Why?
What ethical violations might have taken place in the case of Angela Carder? Be specific, using ethical principles and theories introduced in Unit 1.
Jack Kevorkian became famous for assisting 130 suicides in 8 years. Is assisted suicide legal in your state? What are the states that allow legal assisted suicide?
Collepals.com Plagiarism Free Papers
Are you looking for custom essay writing service or even dissertation writing services? Just request for our write my paper service, and we'll match you with the best essay writer in your subject! With an exceptional team of professional academic experts in a wide range of subjects, we can guarantee you an unrivaled quality of custom-written papers.
Get ZERO PLAGIARISM, HUMAN WRITTEN ESSAYS
Why Hire Collepals.com writers to do your paper?
Quality- We are experienced and have access to ample research materials.
We write plagiarism Free Content
Confidential- We never share or sell your personal information to third parties.
Support-Chat with us today! We are always waiting to answer all your questions.
