Yeah that Cranford is something else.
CAN A "RIGHT TO DIE" BE TURNED INTO A FORCED FATE?
Robert Wendland should die so that his family can "be allowed to live their lives," Dr. Ronald Cranford, a Minnesota neurologist and bioethicist, testified recently in the Stockton courtroom of Superior Court Judge Bob McNatt. The chosen method of death? Intentional dehydration and starvation.
What has Wendland, 45, done to deserve such a fate? He went into a coma in September 1993 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Sixteen months later, he awakened from the coma, paralyzed on one side and unable to walk, talk or swallow well enough to eat. He is physically and cognitively disabled and dependent on others for his care. He is not terminally ill. He is not hooked up to machines. He does require a feeding tube to sustain his life.
Interesting case... many parallels - http://www.angelfire.com/ca7/robertsangels/LATimes071801.html
"Since 1995, Rose and Florence Wendland have been on opposing sides in courtroom battles over Robert. Rose, Robert's legal conservator, and her three children said Robert would have wanted to die in his condition. Florence Wendland insisted that he would have opted for life.
Doctors considered Robert Wendland minimally conscious. He could not eat, drink, walk or talk, but he could respond to simple commands. He could not communicate his wishes, and no one knew for certain his level of awareness.
His wife and children said he never recognized them after the accident or communicated any ability to understand his surroundings. His mother said he would kiss her hand and cry during visits."