Wesley J. Smith: Futile Care: Teenager Forced Off Life Support Survives to Tell the Tale

First Things/Secondhand Smoke ^ | 3/10/11 | Wesley J. Smith

[wagglebee]

This is a warning. Doctors don’t know everything. Hospitals are not always right. Futile care theory not only violates patient autonomy, but it could abandon some–not many, but some–to death when they might otherwise have lived. And don’t say, “Well, these girl lived, so what’s the harm?” The harm is that was no thanks to the futilitarians.

Smith nails it here!

[wagglebee]

Pro-Life Ping

[wagglebee]

Moral Absolutes Ping!

Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.

FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
[ Add keyword moral absolutes to flag FR articles to this ping list ]

[Nonsense Unlimited]

God 1, Doctors 0

As it has been since the beginning of time.

[little jeremiah]

I’m going to click all the links and find the details. This story has a happen conclusion; how many don’t?

[little jeremiah]

From one link:

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/03/07/teen-returns-home-2-months-hospital-turns-life-support/print

---

McNeill said both he and Kimberly’s mother, Jackie Kiddle, had not been able to accept the doctors’ prognosis, and had drawn on specialist acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners for support during the critical period when life support was withdrawn.

Both Kimberly’s parents are acupuncturists.

[G Larry]

If the state is given the power to determine when critical care is withheld, those criteria will continue to widen. People will be evaluated based on cost control, rather than successful healing.

“Your 3 day flu just moved to day 4 and treating pneumonia is too expensive, so we’re through with you now.”

This little quote is from my college term paper, in which I was battling the instructor’s anti-life agenda. It cost me a letter grade, but tough!

[wagglebee]

You are exactly right.

While it is true that new medical techniques are expensive, AS THEY ARE USED, the cost drops in time. This is the case with ALL technology.

[metmom]

Love your tagline.

CS Lewis is great.

[SECURE AMERICA]

Certainly many doctors think they are God but none of them are.

[TASMANIANRED]

Physicians are becoming killers rather than healers.

Once trust in the profession is eroded, they will never get it back.

[Golden Gate]

...and a transfer was expected to begin as soon as the weekend...

Baby Joseph transfer could be imminent - Canada to USA   (... could be? )
The London Free Press ^ | March 11, 2011 7:04pm | JONATHAN SHER

New Friday Article: Let's acknowledge the plight of baby Joseph
The Windsor Star ^ | 3/9/11 | Jean Echlin - Canada

Short, *MUST READ* Article Doctors said "Futile" & kicked her off Life Support, - by God's Grace she is alive! =>>

Wesley J. Smith: Futile Care: Teenager Forced Off Life Support Survives to Tell the Tale

Japan Relief - Update from Dan Iverson, Japan Country Director (Mission to the World)

[little jeremiah]

I just ordered some CS Lewis books (not your favorite ones...heh heh) but none were available. Gotta try again, maybe more of his books.

[trisham]

There’s a picture of her here prior to the accident:

http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/news/critically-ill-teen-a-battler-says-teacher/3936574/

[little jeremiah]

Thanks, I clicked every link but some didn’t have anything about her story.

[trisham]

This is an important story. Life is precious.

[little jeremiah]

Very important. There has to be ways to bring down the cost of some hospital care - I think there are way too many malpractice suits and attendant lawyers, for one.

Medical savings accounts. Less gov’t stuff like Medicare which has HUGE fraud problems. It’s a huge problem and intelligent non-socialist non-death cultists need to figure it out.

There used to be so many Catholic hospitals with nuns working them. What happened to them?

[little jeremiah]

Also I bet all kinds of volunteers would be more than willing to help in hospitals. But the red tape and insurance red tape is so onerous it’s almost impossible. Has to change. Volunteers can get trained for all kinds of helping tasks and services.

[trisham]

Very important. There has to be ways to bring down the cost of some hospital care - I think there are way too many malpractice suits and attendant lawyers, for one.

Medical savings accounts. Less gov’t stuff like Medicare which has HUGE fraud problems. It’s a huge problem and intelligent non-socialist non-death cultists need to figure it out.

There used to be so many Catholic hospitals with nuns working them. What happened to them?

*********************************

There's much that needs to be done regarding all government programs, but some limitations might end up with unintended consequences. It needs to be done very carefully.

What happened to Catholic hospitals? A couple of things come immediately to mind. First is the payouts regarding sexual abuse by priests. That was a very costly blow to the Church. The second, I believe, had to do with abortion. Catholic hospitals refused to permit abortion, and chose to close rather than to submit to government controls which required that they do so.

[trisham]

I’ll bet they would, too.