Terri Schiavo of Florida USA is basicly brain dead and the life support(feeding tube) has been removed because her huhsband claimes that she said that she would not like to be kept alive in this kind of situation. Do you think the feeding tube should go back in or not? Either way she will die (bieng) a vegtable/(in a scence)/braindead.

I am guessing that if you dont live in the USA you have no idea what I'm talking about

I know there will be plenty of people who will say "its wrong to take it out" and "who are we to decide what happens to someone elses life" but there is no option, her state of "living" isnt living, and if there is no chance of her ever recovering (which I dont think there is) then I too dont think she would want to "live" that way. Even though I dont know her....

It's tough for me to decide, so I didn't vote. According to doctors she is brain dead completely and will never recover, but other doctors say there is a possibility she could improve. It makes me wonder about those stories you hear now and then about a patient waking up from a coma after 15 years or so, and if it is indeed possible, but rare.

One thing I don't like about this case is their method of letting her die, i.e., slowly starving her to death. Of course that again is going on the theory that there is at least a small percentage of a chance she may suffer from it.

Most likely she is indeed brain dead and prolonging her life is a useless endeavor, I'm just saying I'm not 100% sure re her condition because of the differing doctors' comments.

I belive that she should be allowed to die. It is sad to see someone kept on life support ust because the doctors say so.

As I wrote in the CE forum, I heard that, at the least, she hasn't been self aware for the past 15 years. The part of her brain that no longer functions should also eliminate any pain she might otherwise feel.

Pull the plug.

Is there a detailed accurate article re this story? Only because I heard her brain had been inactive for 5 years. Still a long time yes, but much different than 15. It definitely makes a difference knowing what exactly is true re her condition. Again too many differing reports and opinions in the news!

Again, either way though, I just don't like the removal of the feeding tube to let her die of starvation thing. And not just because of the question in my mind if she would suffer from it, but also dang the family must be going through hell, probably visiting her every day and seeing the physical deterioration of her because of said starvation. We euthenize (sp?) animals, but not humans, unfortunately. But I guess that is another subject. This feeding tube in, feeding tube out is just kind of ridiculous and draining for all involved I'd reckon. Something needs to be decided once and for all whatever it is, which I suppose may happen soon enough. They say she may still live a week without the feeding tube (it's been out 6 days right?).

How does her husband knows that she would not like to be kept in that sort of situation when she's already brain dead? The wind told him? [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img]

I am guessing that you are guessing we all live in caves then ?

Moving this to CE as there is already a discussion on this case going on here

Whenever I hear about something like this I always think "What would I want if it were me in that situation."
So I voted to let her die. The chances of her recovering are slim and even if she does who knows what sort of quality of life she will have.

[ 03-23-2005, 07:21 PM: Message edited by: shadowhound ]

Yeah, there are a few good ones in the CE thread. I found this one to be quite informative (including a bit on the medical situation) which was posted in this post if you want to jump into the middle of the thread.

Oh, and welcome to IW Gamemaster [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img] And to the madhouse that is the Current Events forum :D [img]graemlins/hidesbehindsofa.gif[/img]

[ 03-23-2005, 08:14 PM: Message edited by: shamrock_uk ]

0-15 - it's worse than playing away at Leeds.

Oh - I'm with the "pull the tube" lunatics too [img]smile.gif[/img]

Snap out of it Davros, you're living in the past. The future is looking awfully blue wouldn't you say ? [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

Well, I voted yes, take the tube out and here is why. To me the question is not about whether or not it is the right or wrong decision to take her off life support. To me the debate is really about whether or not her husband has the right to make that call. It is my personal feelings that when you are married, for better or worse, the decision is his. If he is making the wrong decision, or the decision for wrong reasons then I feel like the consequences of those actions are to be on his head.

In my opinion, the act of getting married is not just something people do for financial benefits, or spiritual reasons, or any one thing, it encompasses a LOT of things. Power of Attorney is usually one of those things that fall into a spouse's line of responsibility when the other spouse becomes incapable or unless the other spouse has requested otherwise.

If it were me lying there and my husband chose one way or the other and the government interfered with his decision, I swear I'd fly up out of that bed and haunt someone! But, I suppose it's just another sign that much of the world does not hold marriage as strong of a bond as it really is. But that's a debate for another day. :0)

Oh, and Johnny, for your information, I *HAVE* heard that you do indeed live in a cave. *grins* JK of course.

~Salinye's opinions

I saw this on the UK news, very sad, especially as the husband and the parents are at odds. It reminds me of a similar case in England, Airedale NHS Trust v Bland. He too was in PVS, alhtough the fmaily was in agreement about the feeding tube being removed, it seemed it would be murder, although judges ruled it would not due to a legal technicality.

<font color = lightgreen>Come now, shamrock_uk. We're not that bad here.

Well, ok--we really are. [img]graemlins/firedevil.gif[/img]

Yes, Welcome to the Ironworks Current Events Forum, Gamemaster. Be sure to leave any thin skin and/or easily-bruised ego outside, please. [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img] </font>

Considering he is with another woman, really makes a person wonder.

Well, they were only married for four years and its now been fifteen...