Disability Rights Victory in Organ Procurement Protocols – Persistence Pays Off

…t we were having any impact except possibly scaring the decision-makers into perpetual inaction. And, like many of you, I know people who need organ transplants, and sadly recently lost my younger brother for the lack of one, so I want to be able to trust the organ transplant system. I don’t yet trust it, but I am genuinely heartened by the victory this week and the invitation to continue a dialogue. I hope that many of you will participate. You c…

Cathy Ludlum of Second Thoughts CT Responds to IOM Committee on Approaching Death

…heir patients. For people with severe and progressive conditions, this is truly dangerous. Appearances are are often deceiving, and medical issues may be complex; a 10-minute visit often accomplishes little. 3. The movements to promote physician assisted suicide and Physicians Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) carry specific dangers for people with severe and progressive disabilities. Both movements feed off of the fears held by physici…

ADAPT and Not Dead Yet Collaborate on New York City Times Square Super Screen Message

…, in our homes, not nursing homes, and The pursuit of happiness—join our struggle at www.adapt.org and www.notdeadyet.org–also smash devastating myths that have historically prevented many individuals with disabilities from enjoying our full rights and an equal place in our communities. These messages are displayed in a ten second video and will run once an hour, 18 hours a day for the next three months. The first message avows that life, with or…

Let’s Have a REAL Discussion: Bioethicists Preach, Fail to Teach on Brain Death

…at might give white professionals pause for thought about the history, mistrust, discrimination, etc. between people of color in the U.S. and the field of medicine. It hasn’t. So I want to share parts of “Jahi’s Family Reflects Deep Mistrust of End-of-Life Decisions” written by Janell Ross and published on The Root: But where Moreno sees evidence that hospitals are doing a better job communicating with black patients and their families, University…

Guest Blog by W. Carol Cleigh: Not Paying Attention

…rnia. I’ve come back to active status in Not Dead Yet through the issue intruding on my otherwise quiet life. First early last year, a friend told me about another friend of hers who was being systematically starved to death in a nursing home despite being willing and able to feed herself. Apparently a relative that lives far from here had her put in the nursing home following a heart attack to ‘recover,’ then ordered them not to feed her. Despite…