Who Determines When Is Life Gone from a Person on Life Support Systems? Essay Example
Deciding to remove life support from someone who cannot make the decision themselves is a complicated matter that often results in conflicting viewpoints. Ultimately, it should be left to a judge as it is one of the most important legal battles faced by our courts.
The issue of medical ethics has become more prominent due to various cases regarding life support across the country, including the case of Emilio in Austin, Texas. Emilio is a 17-month-old with a rare genetic disorder that impacts his central nervous system and necessitates the use of ventilators for breathing. Additionally, he cannot eat, see or speak. His mother believes it is essential to continue providing life support as it is necessary for his survival (Cohen, 1).
An ethical debate has arisen regarding an infant named Emilio who sometimes makes a face that his mother believes is a smil
...e but nurses interpret as an expression of suffering. This debate has put a mother against a children's hospital and medical ethicists against each other. In Texas, there is a law stating that children's hospitals can withdraw life support if it is medically inappropriate. The hospital argues that keeping Emilio alive on a ventilator is both painful for the toddler and useless against his incurable Leigh's disease. However, the mother believes that keeping her child on life support would allow him to die naturally according to God's plan.
There are varying viewpoints on discontinuing life support for Emilio, underscoring the need for a legal resolution. This scenario evokes memories of Terry Schiavo's case, which led to a prolonged 12-year courtroom dispute involving supporters of pro-life and right-to-die stances. After experiencing severe brain injuries at age
41, Terry Schiavo was entangled in a widely publicized legal battle.
Although the family supported keeping Schiavo on life support, her husband believed that she would have preferred its removal. President Bush expressed concern and recommended a court hearing to settle the matter. The judge should give careful consideration to both sides' arguments and prioritize the well-being of the individual when making a decision. In addition, input from pro-life and right-to-die advocates and medical experts must be taken into account in the decision-making process.
The judge bears the responsibility of resolving the increasing conflict across the country.
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