Creative Writing on Physician-assisted Death

What are the reasons made when asking for PAD?

Brittany Maynard, she was a terminal illness patient who was suffering from brain cancer. She said that the disease had taken so much from her and that it would have taken more (Maynard, 2014). She decided to end all those experiences by passing on with dignity at her home as provided by the Oregon state laws.

Craig Ewert was suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease and followed by rapid deterioration within six months after he was diagnosed with the condition. He understood that from Christian perspective it was wrong from taking own life. He said that at one point or another he was going to die which he was inducing physician-assisted death (PAD) (Craig, 2010). He said that the PAD would allow him to do it in dignity without suffering a lot or subjecting his family to such sufferings.

Ramon Sampedro, In a diving escapade He got injured and got paralyzed from the neck downwards.He defended his right to have the PAD that he was not supposed to suffer while alive, and that life should be a right and not an obligation (Amenabar, 2005). His suffering made him see that he had a duty to suffer or keep living, which was not dignified by him.

What are the common threads of their requests?

The three of them always had to combat with force trying to deny them the PAD. They were all suffering and could not carry on further with their conditions. They believed that things could be better once they die.

How are their circumstances different?

Brittany was allowed to undergo PAD by Oregon State, Craig had to travel from Chicago to Switzerland where PAD is allowed for foreigners, Sampedro had to face a court battle to earn his PAD.

The moral justification of the act

All of them had a moral obligation for preserving life at all cost. The dignity of life is endurance of pain and suffering by focusing on the happy side of life. trying to avoid pain by PAD is undignified and unjustified. Were the physicians' involved accomplices to a crime or acting out of mercy?

It was not a crime for Brittany and Craigs cases, since they followed the right procedures in achieving their need for PAD. Additionally, it was an act of mercy intertwined with the obligation as provided by physicians code of ethics. The physicians has an obligation provided by the code of beneficence to put the patients needs first and treat them with compassion and its what the two character received which is also part of their rights. On the other hand, Sampedro took his own life by taking poison by the help of Rosa which was a crime as his wish had not been legally granted. That is why in the video he said that no one should be judged or prosecuted for what he did.

Reference

Amenabar, A. (2005). The Sea Inside [Video File, 14:55]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZYE6QteRiU.

Craig, E. (2010). The Suicide Tourist [Video File 55:37]. Retrieved from http://vlib.excelsior.edu/login?url=http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=103647&xtid=55997

Maynard, B. (2014) A Video for my Friends [Video file, 05:58 minutes]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lHXH0Zb2QI.