Who decides?

[Rose2020]

A young boy is in the news headlines, in the UK today. Doctors say he is dead, that the machines keeping him alive must be switched off. His parents disagree, his mother says her instinct tells her he is still alive and has a chance. His family wish to leave it to God, in whom they place their faith. Yet doctors are the trained medical experts on whom we all depend normally. An earthly court must decide - what a task!

This is a tragic dilemma. The question is, whose opinion is or should be, the right one?

My own humble opinion is that more time should be allowed, a reasonable period decided. This is a 12 year old beloved child. Patients have woken from comas before. God does work miracles, He answers sincere prayers.

[Wootah]

[Replying to Rose2020 in post #20]

I guess you want to decide.

[Diagoras]

[Replying to Rose2020 in post #1]

Here's one news article from the BBC:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-62517728

The inquest heard the cause of death was catastrophic hypoxic ischemic brain injury secondary to strangulation.

I've not researched further, but that issue of strangulation is quite alarming. Perhaps there'll be a charge laid of murder or manslaughter, who knows?

While this is an unusual case that attracted a lot of media attention (for the legal drama as much as anything), plenty of doctors have to make difficult decisions regarding a patient's life every day. How long to continue resuscitation? Whether a further operation may give the patient another three months (or might kill him now)? For those in trauma medicine, many of these decisions will need to be made in a matter of minutes or seconds. For those working in palliative care, perhaps over weeks or months. It's an incredibly demanding vocation and that 'right to decide' isn't bestowed upon them at all lightly.

Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.

I submit that if any doctor, in deliberately taking a life, still held true to the intention of the Oath, then he or she would be doing the right thing.