Important Legal Victory for People Under Guardianship in Pennsylvania

September 7, 2010"end of life", amicus brief, Art Caplan, betancourt v. trinitas, bioethics, futile care, litigation, Our News & Commentary Blog, Pennsylvania, Surrogate Decisions & Guardianship, WisconsinStephen Drake

…easily accessible web-based copy of the decision has been posted at Leagle.com here. The Court’s pdf version of the decision is here. It looks like – for now, anyway, that’s one state that may provide relative safety for people under guardianship in regard to getting appropriate life-preserving medical treatment. Unfortunately, that leaves a lot of states in which the status of people under guardianship status may be less protected – specifically…

NDY & 18 Other Disability Groups Join DREDF Amicus Brief in Assisted Suicide Case

February 28, 2022"death with dignity", aid in dying, amicus brief, assisted suicide, court cases, dredf, end-of-life options bills, litigation, Massachusetts, medical discrimination, Our News & Commentary Blog, Second Thoughtsassisted suicide, court cases, end of life options, Friend of the Court Brief, medical aid in dyingDiane Coleman

…ship and skill in representing us before the Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in this important case. Here is DREDF’s announcement, which links to their strongly and expertly argued brief. DREDF Files Amicus Brief on Behalf of Itself and Eighteen Other Organizations Opposing Efforts to Establish a Constitutional Right to Assisted Suicide in Massachusetts The question of whether a constitutional right to assisted suicide…

Assisted Suicide Is A Deadly Mix With Our Profit-Driven Healthcare System

March 23, 2014"death with dignity", assisted suicide, Connecticut, Deadly Mix, dredf, ira byock, life-sustaining treatment, Malpractice, media coverage, Our News & Commentary Blog, storiesassisted suicide, Connecticut, Dredf, media coverageDiane Coleman

…rs put on her partner to forego life-sustaining treatment. To see Elaine’s testimony, readers can go to the Connecticut legislative website recording, beginning at 2 hours and 30 minutes. CT News Junkie also reported a central concept of the disability witnesses and quoted Elaine. People with disabilities have been among the bill’s most outspoken opponents. While supporters often refer to the legislation as “death with dignity,” some with disabili…

NPR’s Morning Edition Covers the Organ Procurement Debate

June 24, 2013bioethics, donation after cardiac death, national catholic partnership on disability, OPTN, Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, organ transplants, Our News & Commentary Blog, Rob Stein, Stephen MikochikDiane Coleman

…N/UNOS, there is disagreement with the proposed guideline, with the Ethics Committee holding to the previous standard and the Organ Procurement Committee advocating for a guideline that allows individuals and families to be approached about organ donation before a decision to withdraw life-support has been made. The online NPR article quoted Not Dead Yet, although the audio broadcast did not: The proposal is raising concerns among advocates for th…

Bill Peace in Hastings Center Bioethics Forum: “Euthanasia in Belgium: The Untold Story”

February 12, 2013Belgium, bigotry, bill peace, disability, disability activists, disability rights, discrimination, euthanasia, misinformation, misrepresentation, Our News & Commentary BlogStephen Drake

…age was clear: death is a logical and reasonable option if a person will become deaf-blind. By logical extension there are some disabilities that are a fate worse than death. One does not need to be terminally ill to be euthanized. Read more: http://www.thehastingscenter.org/Bioethicsforum/Post.aspx?id=6222&blogid=140#ixzz2KjDJx1Kt Careful readers might notice that the use of terminology is a little confusing here. But that is probably just a refl…