Making the Decision to Die?


Written on October 26, 2009 – 1:28 pm | by Drug Abuse Help

In 1994 Benito Agrelo,aged 15,fought in court for the right to refuse medication.He had been born with a malfunctioning liver & had previously undergone 2 liver transplant.The drugs used to keep Benny’s body from rejecting the liver caused headaches & severe leg & back pain.He couldn’t read or walk.His physicians felt that he could be helped with a third transplant & a change in the dose of the immunosuppressive medication.Using the child-abuse agencies & laws,the physicians forced Benny 2 return 2 the hospital.Atfer hearings with a judge,he was allowed 2 return home.

1.in your opinion, is it suicide for a person to refuse treatment such as feeding tubes,or as in the case of benny, medication?
2.in your opinion, should someone who is terminally ill be allowed to commit suicide?
3.if you had a positive response to question2,who do you think should be involved in a decision to end someone’s life?
4.in your opinion,what criteria determine the value of someone’s life?

11 Responses to “Making the Decision to Die?”

  1. rhonda_y said:

    Oct 26, 09 at 2:06 am

    At 15 years you are old enough to see what is happening to you. This young man should have the right to refuse treatment and take control of how he wants to spend the rest of his life. It is not "suicide" to want not to be a guinea pig! It is brave to see you are at the end and accept it.

  2. NATIVE_NEW_YORKER said:

    Oct 26, 09 at 2:59 am

    ANYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO REFUSE MEDICAL TREATMENT AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT INSANE.
    EVERYONE OF AGE SHOULD HAVE A LIVING WILL WITH ALL SPECIFICS
    LISTED.
    NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO LIVE IN CONSTANT PAIN WITH NO HOPE OF RELIEF .
    YOU CAN CALL THIS SUICIDE BUT I CALL IT MERCY.

  3. PIXXIE said:

    Oct 26, 09 at 5:21 am

    Everyone has the right to choose if they are terminally ill. The Dr. or Gov. are not laying in a bed dieing slowly in pain having their family watch you become someone else.
    It is sad that even though you may have a living will the state you live in may not accept it and will put you on life support (sad isn’t it).
    It is not up to us to say when someones life if over to them…….we should have the right to assisted suicide….and the ill person should choose and if not able should have a living will done by an attorney to make sure their wishes are seen through ……..Now in the US the Gov. runs us

  4. jodi_g said:

    Oct 26, 09 at 10:22 am

    Making a choice like this is a very personal matter that should be dealt with BEFORE someone becomes terminally ill.
    That being said:
    1. I do not believe it is suicide if you refuse medical care of any kind. That is a choice that every human being should be able to make on their own behalf. However, I do not believe a parent should ever be able to make this decision on behalf of a child.
    2. Stopping medical care is not suicide. I do not believe anyone, including those that are terminally ill, should be able to commit suicide. At the point when suicide becomes an option for most terminally ill patients, they are no longer able to make an informed decision because of pain, disease process etc.
    3. Everyone that is involved in the patients life should be informed of the decision, but again, at this point the patient should not be able to take their own life. Stopping medical care is not the same thing.
    4. You cannot put a definative value on somes life. Every life is indeed precious. That being said, A person has to have the final say in how they intend to deal with terminal illness.

  5. nonjoo said:

    Oct 26, 09 at 12:47 pm

    It is OUR body, not the doctor’s, the family, or the govt. We all should have the right to die.

  6. onethousandmilesfromnowhere said:

    Oct 26, 09 at 1:50 pm

    its sad all the way around

  7. Abs said:

    Oct 26, 09 at 2:45 pm

    In Bennys case, there was really no reason for him to live. What did he have other than pain and seeing everyone else his age doing things he couldn’t. Suicide could be classed as this but I see suicide as someone escaping a normal life they can’t control this is euthanasia. I think euthanasia should be allowed for very sick people who can’t do anything except lie down and wait to die. When a dog gets hit by a car, do they have to suffer? No they get humanly put to sleep so why not humans. Why should anyone have to suffer in pain to wait for the inevitable? It would be bad enough knowing you are going to die without constant pain. I think this decision should be left to the person going through it, not everyone would want to die some would try to fight, but if I needed to make that decision I would base it on the percentage of recovery and if there were none and that person would be leading a miserable life I would.

  8. hushnowjustplayit said:

    Oct 26, 09 at 3:54 pm

    1. No.
    2. Yes.
    3. Themselves.
    4. I wouldn’t presume to value someone’s life, only my own. If I was teminally ill and wanted to commit suicide, I don’t think anyone has the right to deny me.

  9. Carol_H said:

    Oct 26, 09 at 5:03 pm

    This is so sad. In Oregon we have the right to choose to die. Someone who is guardian should have some say in all of these decision. I don`t remember what my daughter inlaw gave me permission along with the doctor to end her life…that was a hard decision. This happened in Calolifornia.The consent was from the hospital and drawn up like a living will that she had to sign. The dr gave her a blood transfusion and dopamine for her thrusting around so much..She had aids.

  10. R_Purushotham_Rao said:

    Oct 26, 09 at 6:55 pm

    euthanasia is always desired but squarely denied

  11. meegen said:

    Oct 26, 09 at 11:57 pm

    I think you should be aloud to pick if you want to die or not anyway its your life if you dont want to live thats your choice.
    1. no you can refuse to be in treatment.
    2. I dont know but if your terminally ill I wouldnt.
    3. a docter a juge someone how would care about your desican to die or not dont pick someone you know that doesnt agree whioth what you want to do.
    4.i dont really know but everyones life would cost like 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 dollers so i wouldnt die bye

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