The ventilator is one thing, the feeding tube, IMHO, is totally another. It sounds like this is not the same kind of feeding tube that Terri had. The one Terri had was a port that was surgically inserted. This might be the kind that is inserted through the throat to the stomach. Perhaps the family intends to hand deliver food and water to him, we can only hope and pray. I will pray that the family not dehydrate and starve him to death. That would be cruel and is not dignified in any way, shape, or form.
After experiencing my grandfather die I came to a new conclusion about the feeing tube issue. A feeding tube should not be removed in a person NOT DYING. If there is no hope and the person needs to be let go and I mean NO HOPE, than and only than should all life support be shut down.
Food keeps us alive, even for the dying. My Papaw fell unconsious on a Sunday night after eating lots that day. He had a order stating he did not want any life support keeping him alive. He has cancer and was dying and we all knew it was his time.
So, we did not feed him once he went down, but we knew he wasn't going to starve to death as the Hospice Nurse said he has just a few days to life if even that. Of course we put water into his mouth and kept moisturizing his tounge and never once to he appear like the lasck of food was killing him, it was the cancer.
My Papaw died Wed night after the Sunday night he went down. He did not die of lask of food, he died of his cancer. I was there as well as my entire family and we took care of him till the end. Never was he hungry. If we had fed him he might have stayed alive longer because food does help sustain life in a way, but he was going to die with out without it, and he was in so much pain and ready to go.
So, the way I view the feeding tube issue now is that it should never be removed from someone just in a coma, with brain damage, or not dying. ONly the dying who fall unconscious near the hour of their death should be the expception, and that is it!