Euthanasia Backers Discount Rom Houben, Man Who Spoke After False "Coma"

Life News ^ | 11/25/09 | Steven Ertelt

[wagglebee]

Brussels, Belgium (LifeNews.com) -- No sooner did Rom Houben make international headlines than skeptics and euthanasia advocates attempt to discredit the story of a man who says he was falsely tagged as being in a coma for 23 years. Houben has been embraced by those who say physicians are too quick to label patients as in a vegetative state.

As LifeNews.com noted, Houben shared his story this week of how he is now able to talk with the world now that a scientists retested him, found his brain to be functioning normally, and provided him with therapy allowing him to communicate.

However, euthanasia proponents are attempting to discredit the story.

The Huffington Post’s resident utilitarian bioethicist, Jacob Appel, contends that Houben can't really be communicating and suggests a test to smoke out the supposed chicanery.

"I confess that I am still highly suspicious of the details of this alleged medical miracle–and particularly of the messages that Houben purportedly types with the help of his aide," he writes.

He wants to know whether "his story is authentic, a matter of wishful thinking, or even a cruel and manipulative hoax" and, until that time, "the media and the public should retain a healthy skepticism."

Apparently, that has been done.

The Associated Press indicates the team of British neurological expert Dr. Steven Laureys showed Houben an object while his aide was not present and he was able to write it down correctly.

“So all that has been checked and confirmed, so we are sure it is him who is talking,” Prof. Audren Vandaudenhuyse, a colleague of Laureys, told AP.

Houben’s mother, Fina, told the AP her son has been communicating with him for three years.

“At first he had to push with his foot on a sort of computer mouse which only had a yes-no side,” she said in a telephone interview. “Slowly he got better and developed through a language computer and now communicates with this speech therapist holding his hand.”

Also, Dr. James Bernat of Dartmouth Medical School called Laureys “a very rigorous scientist and physician" who is "one of the world’s leaders” in the field of brain imaging in people with consciousness disorders.

American bioethicist Wesley J. Smith responded to the charges from the euthanasia backers and skeptics.

Although he believes skepticism is warranted in some cases, "there comes a time when skepticism becomes something else, an ideological tool to keep society from drawing ethical conclusions that the skeptic might oppose."

"I think we have reached that point in the Rom Houben case," he said and alleged that Appel "worries that the Houben good news might prevent similar patients from being dehydrated or euthanized."

"The Hougens case unquestionably gets in the way of the utilitarian agenda to rid us of burdensome cognitively and neurologically disabled people and/or to gain a license to use them as natural resources in organ harvesting or experimentation," he said.

"But Houben rehumanizes a subset of patients–the unconscious and those apparently so–who have been denigrated and marginalized for many years by the dehydration crowd. I think his story just might cause enough pause to keep us from writing these people off, and in the process, save some lives," he added.

[wagglebee]

"I confess that I am still highly suspicious of the details of this alleged medical miracle–and particularly of the messages that Houben purportedly types with the help of his aide," he writes.

Translation:
"We should kill the worthless eaters early on in order to avoid future embarrassments like this."

[wagglebee]

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[samtheman]

Appel "worries that the Houben good news might prevent similar patients from being dehydrated or euthanized."

Can you say "sicker than a freaking NAZI"?

[HiTech RedNeck]

Anyone who fears he or she might get into such a state might want to learn Morse code and be sure that members of his or her family know it. Then if any body part can be budged, messages can be tapped out early on.

[Da Coyote]

Amazing how regressive the “progressives” really are.

Let’s start the war now and get it over with. It’s gotta happen sooner or later, lest the lib-O-zombies take over the earth and kill everything.

[fortunate sun]

about my only skepticism about the story is the length of time this gentleman claims to have been aware. Humans don't have an actual sense of time without a point of reference. He may have been awake for 23 years, he may have been awake 5 years or 5 days.

I asked a friend who was in a coma for a few months as the result of an auto accident if he had any memory of that stretch, he had one short image of a family member. In any case, it's a minor point in the scheme of things. If they will keep a killer on death row while appeal after appeal is filed, the least you can do is keep somebody on life support.

[Kolokotronis]

“”I confess that I am still highly suspicious of the details of this alleged medical miracle–and particularly of the messages that Houben purportedly types with the help of his aide,” he writes.

Translation:
“We should kill the worthless eaters early on in order to avoid future embarrassments like this.” “

You really think that? This “facilitated communication” method was used with my own son. Its not a fraud, there is no intention to cheat or fool people, but neither is it real. I’m skeptical too. Do you think I think my son should be or should have been killed early on? Its just this sort of inflammatory rhetoric which turns off so many of us parents in the DD community. Frankly, w, what you said is lunatic talk and you should be ashamed of yourself.

[wagglebee]

You really think that? This “facilitated communication” method was used with my own son. Its not a fraud, there is no intention to cheat or fool people, but neither is it real. I’m skeptical too. Do you think I think my son should be or should have been killed early on? Its just this sort of inflammatory rhetoric which turns off so many of us parents in the DD community. Frankly, w, what you said is lunatic talk and you should be ashamed of yourself.

I think you totally misread what I wrote. I have worked to expose the culture of death for years.

My "translation" was my impression of what the death monger would have said if he thought he could get away with it. The culture of death gets nervous whenever someone like this man has a breakthrough.

[Kolokotronis]

"I think you totally misread what I wrote."

I didn't misread any part of your overheated rhetoric. Like I said, its just that sort of talk which has caused people who share your views to lose all credibility with the DD community; not because we think you wish ill to our family members, but because we think you use them, use them, to advance a politico/social agenda. Grabbing ahold of a story like this one, based in the nonsense of "facilitated communication" (don't think for a moment my wife and I don't wish it weren't nonsense) and using one person's very well founded skepticism to put vile, evil words in his mouth, words you came up with, is outrageous. You ought to rethink your methods.

[wagglebee]

Are you saying that you don’t believe there are many in the culture of death who would prefer to kill the disabled rather than take work to rehabilitate them?

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

More proof that liberalism is a mental illness.

[Kolokotronis]

“Are you saying that you don’t believe there are many in the culture of death who would prefer to kill the disabled rather than take work to rehabilitate them?”

Cut it out! You know exactly what I am saying. Do you doubt even for a minute that fathers like me deal with that culture of death every day? Who do you think you are asking me a question like that?

[wagglebee]

Pinged from Terri Dailies

[wagglebee]

Cut it out! You know exactly what I am saying. Do you doubt even for a minute that fathers like me deal with that culture of death every day? Who do you think you are asking me a question like that?

You asked me if I thought your son should have been killed. I found that incredibly offensive and an affront to EVERYTHING I believe.

If you are suggesting that we should just sit back and try to placate the culture of death in hopes that they will eventually back, I cannot do that. Everything I have seen is that all they ever want is more death.

Eluana Englaro's Father Now Making Waves as a Euthanasia Activist

[Kolokotronis]

“You asked me if I thought your son should have been killed. I found that incredibly offensive and an affront to EVERYTHING I believe.”

Has your mania for what you perceive to be “moral absolutes” destroyed your ability to read? Or do you intentionally lie simply to create false issues, made up trouble like the words you put in that fellow Appel’s mouth? W, post my words asking you if you think my son should be killed. You can’t because I never said that.

“If you are suggesting that we should just sit back and try to placate the culture of death in hopes that they will eventually back, I cannot do that.”

You just can’t help yourself can you? You are so round the bend for your cause that you spout offensive lunacy at every turn.

I’ll tell you what. You go out and shoot your mouth off, make false accusations and make enemies from among otherwise natural allies for your cause, if in fact your cause is something other than promotion of a particular political agenda, and I’ll go on working to make a good life for my son and people like him and try to clean up the political mess you and your loud mouthed fellow travelers have made.

[wagglebee]

W, post my words asking you if you think my son should be killed. You can’t because I never said that.

I misread your question in your first post on this thread and I apologize for that:

Euthanasia Backers Discount Rom Houben, Man Who Spoke After False "Coma"

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 7:59:37 PM · 8 of 16
Kolokotronis to wagglebee

“”I confess that I am still highly suspicious of the details of this alleged medical miracle–and particularly of the messages that Houben purportedly types with the help of his aide,” he writes.

Translation:
“We should kill the worthless eaters early on in order to avoid future embarrassments like this.” “

You really think that? This “facilitated communication” method was used with my own son. Its not a fraud, there is no intention to cheat or fool people, but neither is it real. I’m skeptical too. Do you think I think my son should be or should have been killed early on? Its just this sort of inflammatory rhetoric which turns off so many of us parents in the DD community. Frankly, w, what you said is lunatic talk and you should be ashamed of yourself.

Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies

I’ll go on working to make a good life for my son and people like him

And I will do EVERYTHING in my power to help you and others achieve that goal.

[BykrBayb]

Do you really think your position mirrors Jacob Appel's?
He said "suspicious," not "skeptical."
He said "details" (plural), not merely "facilitated communication."

We routinely see the death cult using this approach of trying to discredit every aspect of a right to life situation. They just throw everything they have against the wall, and hope something will stick.

I'm curious about your motives for trying to discredit Free Republic's foremost advocate for life, including the lives of disabled people. Wagglebee is a highly effective advocate. I can only think of one reason to oppose his efforts. I can't think of an honorable reason.

[Kolokotronis]

"I can only think of one reason to oppose his efforts. I can't think of an honorable reason."

Really now? And what precisely would you know about it? We kept our son alive, with the help of a magnificent heart surgeon from Guatemala of all places, when the other doctors told us that it might be worth an experimental operation if he didn't have Down Syndrome. Take him home and keep him comfortable. That's what the medical community was saying 26 years ago. Dishonorable? Like I said, keep it up and you'll lose more support. Frankly, those of us who are parents of persons with disabilities are sick and tired of going up to our legislatures and being identified with and shunned on account of the the overheated rhetoric that flies around this issue. Our family members have been hurt by these tactics and this sort of wild talk. I know what I'm talking about. I live it everyday with my son. I know the damage the rhetoric used on this thread has caused.

And BTW, I'm suspicious too of the claims of facilitated communication. I know what its use did to my wife and me. And I am more than suspicious of the motives of crowd which is touting what has happened with Houben as some sort of "break through". He's being used to advance a political agenda and its disgusting. Houben isn't a prop in some zero sum political game.

[BykrBayb]

You acknowledge that the discrimination that we are fighting against does indeed exist, as your son was subjected to it twenty-six years ago, and continues to live it every day, but when we acknowledge that discrimination you call it “overheated rhetoric.”

You are not the only person with a disabled family member, but you’re one of very few who oppose efforts to protect disabled people from abuse, neglect and murder.

I still have not seen any honorable reasons for opposing the rights of disabled people.