I have been following the case of Terry Schiavo in the news closely. She is the Tampa Bay women who went into a coma after her heart stopped beating because of a believed lack of potassium. She is in what some call a persistent vegitative state.
I started out believing that it would be best if she did die. How could anyone want to live like that? But then I learned more about her husband, and the more I learned, the more I got mad at him and changed my tune. He was awarded a lot of money for her care a while ago. Although, instead of having doctors trying to help her he had them give her the minimal care. And then moved on with a girlfriend and a new child. If she dies he gets the money and can get married. In order for her to die they need to disconnect her feeding tube. If you stopped feeding me I would die too. Food is not life support. And from what I have read it is a very painful way to die. Instead of divorcing her and giving guardianship over to her parents, who desperately want that and to give care that might actually help her, he is prolonging this and causing pain for those who love her the most.
She had no living will, so we don't know her wishes. (Another reason why every adult should have a living will with those things spelled out.) But I do know that starving a person to death isn't right. There are people who really care about her and are willing to step up and make sure she gets the right care, but they can't because some selfish SOB can't take his eye off the prize, the money.
Am I crazy?
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