Eluana Englaro, the Italian woman at the center of a right-to-die debate, has died. She was in an incurable coma since 1992 due to a car accident. She died because they finally pulled out all the tubes, wires and other animosities to keep her artificially alive in a vegetative state.
The Vatican, which had described the decision to let Englaro die as "abominable", asked for God's forgiveness for those who are responsible.
"May the Lord welcome her and forgive those who led her there (to her death)," the Vatican health minister Javier Lozano Barragan told the press.
Well, the question for me is, how long do you let someone dangle
between heaven and earth. Don't we all have a right to die ... eventually?
Tuesday, February 10
The right to die
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6 comments:
For me the choice for my family would be clear to anyone who knows me. I would rather be let go, than remain in a vege state on life support. I guess it's a lesson to show us all we need to put our wishes in writing ... or in our will to make it clear what should happen if unfortunate circumstances occur.
The court’s application here was not unreasonable e.g. the court required evidence to satisfy itself that her condition was “irreversible” and there was not the “slightest possibility of a regaining of consciousness”. Secondly, proof the patient before the accident clearly stated opposition to such ongoing treatment for herself to prolong her life if she were to be in such a comatosed vegetative state due to any serious accident. The court was satisfied from the testimony of both medical experts and her previous friend’s accounts that confirmed when visiting others she expressed the desire not to be kept in a similar state should that happen to her.
Adhering slavishly to maintain all human life, regardless of the artificial nature of such sustenance must be at the expense of many conscious alternatives unless you assume limitless resources which is clearly not the case.
It could be that from a compassionate point of view such a slavish commandment will result in much more suffering than otherwise would be the case.
In fact Doctors, away from the glare of publicity daily make such life and death decisions excepting they dare not talk about it.
Changing the subject to the “conscious’ if you were asked by a Palliative Doctor when experiencing severe pain from a terminal illnesses whether or not you would like him or her to increase the pain killing dose and become more comfortable most would emphatically say yes.
If he then said to give you sufficient dose to make you totally comfortable and pain free he could not also guarantee that you would ever wake up (although this was not his intention) and would you like him to do this, most would also say yes.
Best wishes
i saw the news about Eluana when her father was fighting to take her off life support.
such things are for the individual to choose. or her family if she is unable to choose.
if the vatican wishes to keep her artificially alive, the vatican should offer to pay for the care.
but it is still her family's ultimate decision.
it's very sad, she was a beautiful woman with a future.
i'd want to die with dignity, if it happened to me.
God rest her soul...
I don't know what to make of this story. it is a very touchy subject... I was born and raised catholic, and I understand the church's point of view... however, one should be able to decide their own fate too...
so... hehe for once, I am still undecided on the subject...
I know miracles happens.
But so does death.
Sometimes, that is the miracle.
We all have a span of days and death is the natural end of those days here on earth.
I think the question is more, without the artificial help, can one live on their own. And after some 16 or 17 years, it seems the answer would be obvious.
The paperwork is the answer, if you do not want to be in this position, you must think about it ahead of time and do the paperwork.
My Mother was 90 and died, the EMTs brought her back. She was not happy with this. She said she was in a beautiful green place and people were coming to greet her. There was joy. She was ready.
The wham, back she came to her body. She lived five more years. And they were good years for her and for us all. We were thankful for them. But she was not afraid to go, and when she was particularly tired, would talk about being ready to leave.
She made sure, though, that there were the pink slips posted in every room of the house, that stated "DO NOT RESUSCITATE".
She was going to make sure it wasn't a round trip ticket the next time.
That is certainly not the same as what this young woman and her family had to face. My heart goes out to them all.
When hope is in the first stages of this time for them, there would be no easy answers.
What the f does the Pope know? He's a human being with no answers and a big hat.
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