Case 6-2 Death And Dying The Legalization Of Euthanasia

Death & Dying: The Legalization of Euthanasia Everywhere

Euthanasia can be grouped into two categories: passive and active euthanasia. The first category, passive euthanasia, can be divided into two subcategories. Those two subcategories are involuntary and voluntary. Passive voluntary is respect. Likewise, active euthanasia can be divided into involuntary and voluntary subcategories. Active involuntary is murder and active voluntary is physician assisted dying. Euthanasia is extremely controversial. It is legal in some places such as Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, Vermont, the District of Columbia, and Montana. Some people are in support of physician assisted dying while others are strongly against it. In my opinion, euthanasia

Autonomy can be defined as “the governing of oneself according to one’s own system of morals and beliefs or life plan” (Veatch 431). Case 6-2, A Mature 12-Year-Old Who Refuses a Heart Transplant, is similar to that of my relative, but a lot more conflicting. This case better emphasizes the argument of respect for autonomy. “Twelve-year-old Emma Ogden had suffered all her life from a congenital heart defect that had led to over forty operations during her short life” (Veatch 118). Despite the operations, she was not doing well and her only long-term hope was a heart transplant. “Even with a transplant, her prognosis was not good: no more than 10-20 percent chance of five-year survival with likely repeated crises related to her damaged lungs and circulatory system” (Veatch 118). After thinking it through, Emma concluded that she did not want to go forth with the transplant and her parents respected her decision. This was not the popular option, being that without the transplant Emma would not live much longer, however, being that it was her body, it was her choice. No one would want to be put in this situation for it is not an easy decision to make. Nonetheless, if the child “knew her chances of survival were not good” and she “had had about all she could take of hospitals, operations, and medical crises” who are we to tell her that she must get the transplant (Veatch 118-119). At the end of the day, we must forget about what we want as parents, family members, friends, and health professionals and listen to the patient. In this case, euthanasia was not mentioned, but rather the focus was on respect for autonomy. If the case had been altered and euthanasia was requested by Emma, as sad as it is to see someone so young request something so permanent, in Emma’s case I believe it would be okay. I, as well as Emma view life as quality rather than