according to figures i have seen, there are currently between 20,000 and 30,000 people (victims? patients) in a Persistant Vegetative State or Coma whose corpses are being maintained at the cost of millions of dollars annually. For these there is very little hope of a future life. yet assistance is being withdrawn from those who do have hope of life in the future and who can become useful citizens. Where is the fairness in that? When yo udo CPR there is a 1 in 10 chance the patient will come to and survive. Much, much less for comatose.
quote from a PVS web site..
" Many find it agonizing to watch anyone, particularly a loved one, languish in this condition with little hope for recovery. For this reason, allowing PVS patients to die can seem very merciful. So, the ethical question arises: should we withdraw artificially administered food and fluids from these patients and allow them die?" Terry has been in this condition sicne 1990. Her Brain is already "dead"
"it is generally agreed that if a patient doesn't become responsive before six months, his or her prognosis is extremely poor"
I have not heard why or how she became this way...
"Individuals recovering from coma require close medical supervision. A coma rarely lasts more than 2 to 4 weeks. Some patients may regain a degree of awareness after persistent vegetative state. Others may remain in that state for years or even decades. The most common cause of death for someone in a persistent vegetative state is infection, such as pneumonia."
The right to die with dignity is not the same as murder or capital punishment.