The Case of Paul Mills and Dr. Nancy Morrison
Dr. Nancy Morrison was arrested for first-degree murder in 1996 for administering a shot of potassium chloride to her terminally ill patient Paul Mills in hope to hasten his death. Prior to his death, Paul Mills had undergone multiple operations including one to remove a part of his esophageal due to cancer, after each operations, he was left weaker and more dependent on hospital care and machines to be kept alive. He was in serious pain, suffering from being in a state of constant suffering, so Paul Mills requested to be allowed to die. A DNR was issued and his family decided to take him off life support. Both himself and his family agreed to the cessation of life support, and there was clear evidence that he will not recover. “The cessation of the employment of extraordinary means to prolong the life of the body when there is irrefutable evidence that biological death is imminent is the decision of the
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Once life support was withdrawn, the expected outcome was that he slipped away as painless as possible, giving him a merciful death, but Mr. Mills body didn’t shut down along with the machines, he was alive and the nurse at his bedside described him as being in immense pain as he struggled for each breath. His chest being was covered in open scars from his operation that wouldn’t heal and all the tubes, which kept him alive, where now oozing puss and liquids as he inhaled and exhaled. He suffered for two hours before even while he was given as much pain medication he could take. Just imagining being on a bed, looking down and seeing my body is such a horrible state, while each breath I take is accompanied by excruciating pain. I would want someone