What Happens When Someone Wants Life-Saving Treatment, But Their Guardian Disagrees?

September 4, 2007bioethics, Our News & Commentary Blog, Surrogate Decisions & GuardianshipStephen Drake

Last summer, we received news about a local guardianship case. It’s the kind of case that deserves greater attention than it got at the time. This particular case was handled by Equip for Equality (EFE), the Illinois organization that is part of the national, congressionally-mandated Protection & Advocacy Network. This is an important case – it shows us just how badly the power of a guardian can be abused and what it takes to get that guardian’s…

Miracles, Malpractice, Survivors and Recovery

September 17, 2007bioethics, coma, life-ending decisions, Our News & Commentary Blog, vegetative stateStephen Drake

…e case that should be mentioned in this context. In January, 2006, a judge ruled that 11-year-old Haleigh Poutre should be entitled to “pass away with dignity.” The Department of Social Services had sued to end Poutre’s life-support less than two weeks after alleged abuse by her adoptive parents put her into a coma. Her physicians at Baystate Medical Center described her as “virtually brain dead.” One day after the judge’s ruling, verified reports…

Karen McCarron on Trial – Finally

January 11, 2008crime and punishment, homicide, media coverage, Our News & Commentary BlogStephen Drake

…e press at this time. We sincerely hope this allegation turns out to be untrue. And we are all hoping that the young girl pulls through this medical crisis. But if it is true, it’s time to demand that the media and parent “advocates” behave with more restraint and responsibility than they have in the coverage of the alleged murder of 3-year-old Katie McCarron by her mother. Coverage of the alleged murder of Katie McCarron has been dominated by dis…

Rush to Judgment Ends Lives of Newly Disabled

September 18, 2007bioethics, medical decisionmaking, Our News & Commentary BlogStephen Drake

…ecisions to end someone’s life as “malpractice” and “unusual.” Between the news stories and the phone calls we get, I don’t think that these scenarios are “unusual” any more. Dr. Joel Frader is the current president of the Chicago End-of-Life Care Coalition. Frader co-authored a 2004 article with James L. Nelson, a bioethicist at Michigan State University. The authors bemoaned the difficulty of predicting outcomes “at those times during the course…

Diane Coleman and Steve Gold in Seattle Times Story

September 19, 2007bioethics, life-ending decisions, media coverage, Our News & Commentary Blog, Steve GoldStephen Drake

…on to insure ventilator users who end lives through treatment refusal are truly informed decisions.” But that’s a little long and complicated when you can use a simple piece of jargon like “right to die” as shorthand. The article resulted from the highly publicized decision Capt. Drew Jensen to end his life on a ventilator after a bullet wound inflicted in Iraq resulted in his total paralysis from the neck down. Here are some of the comments from…