[firebrand]

This monologue would never occur in most cases. The amount of morphine needed to ease the pain would eventually be increased to a lethal dose. That is what Kirkwood was saying. No discernible difference, except in intent.

Of course with some fatal illnesses, pain is not the problem.

In bygone days the morphine dose would be regulated so it did not kill the patient. That was barbaric. When we can ease the pain, we should, and I'm glad we now do so.

[little jeremiah]

What I’m saying is that if euthanasia or call it doctor assisted suicide (kids can now ask to be killed in, IIRC, Belgium), this sort of discussion will occur earlier in the illness. Not when the child is in unbearable pain, totally helpless, or unconscious. Much earlier. When large doses of pain killing drugs are not needed “yet”.

“Why wait until he’s in terrible pain? It would be so cruel to wait until then. Let’s remember him as he is now; the doctor said he would get all twisted/go blind/stop eating - and I couldn’t bear to see him like that. It’s the kind thing to do. The doctor said he’ll feel no pain, just go to sleep. We know there’s no hope, why wait until he suffers so much more?”

It won’t just happen when the children are near death, if it’s legalized.