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When to withhold treatment - Terri Shiavo : Comments
By Bernadette Tobin, published 24/3/2005Bernadette Tobin argues that New South Wales guidelines for end-of-life care do not help medical staff or families.
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It has not been argued that Terri is "brain dead", only that she is in a Persistent Vegetative State (PVS). This is itself controversial - such a diagnosis is difficult since there is many different levels of consciousness. However, it has consistently been demonstrated that she has no real cognition of things happening around her, and has no hope of recovering, which is why the courts agree she should no longer be kept alive artificially.
I would not starve my pet to death - if it was seriously injured I would have it put down. To do otherwise would be seen as cruel. As you suggest, it is cruel to do the same to Terri. The humane thing to do would be to actively euthanise her, but certain religions believe in the very cruel idea of the absolute 'Sanctity of (Human) Life'. Our pets are lucky that we haven't don't view their lives as "sacred" regardless of their condition.
You might like to check out the book 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly', it's a story written by a french writer who is completely paralysed exept for his left eyelid. He uses the eyelid to painstakingly dictate the book before he dies a short time later. Someone like Terri has much greater control of her body (as demonstrated by the 'baloon following'), yet cannot make any such significant communication. If she was "fully aware" but "trapped inside a body" she could surely form some kind of communication.