Catholic teaching does not define starvation or dehydration as "natural" causes. Regardless, Catholicism doesn't consider food and water to be "medical" interventions.
As far as her higher brain function go, Terri died 15 years ago, so the issue about starvation is moot in that respect. One could say that the death of her higher brain functions was a result of natural causes, although it was brought about by her eating disorder. Keeping her body alive was more than simply sticking a feeding tube into her. She did have vaginal and urinary infections and had her gall bladder was removed while she was in PVS. To me, it seems like a desecration of her body to keep it in that state for so many years. The chance of any recovery was essentially zero according to the neurologists, so the only option would be to continue to keep the body alive, perhaps decades longer. The longest case of PVS was 37 years. Someone's body was kept alive from 1941 to 1978 in that state. Everyone has to question what the end to this case would have been if her body had been kept alive even longer. Ten more years? Twenty? Eventually her body would have succumbed to another infection or some other medical issue. .
life-prolonging procedures have been defined as Òany medical procedure, treatment, or intervention, including artificially provided sustenance and hydration, which sustains, restores, or supplants a spontaneous vital function.Ó It is noteworthy that the general principle of artificial nutrition as artificial life support that may be removed in terminal and even vegetative state conditions is reflected in nearly all stateÕs laws and within the guidelines of end of life care enunciated by the American Conference of Catholic Bishops and other religious denominations.
Again, the main issue is what constitutes the "end of life." The difference between the Pope and Terri Schiavo is clear. The removal of the Pope's feeding tube did not cause his death, unlike Terri Schiavo's.
How can catholic teaching possibly say that. The last time Catholicism has anything useful to say, or anything to say at all, was long before medicine could have kept her alive.
ahh feeding tubes,abortions,feti,and Huck Finn. I missed Hipforums....Good times.Good times. :sunglasse
Yes, in many cases it is. My FIL is on a feeding tube. He has a NG (nasogastric tube) but this week he will have surgery to give him the Enteral Tube identical to the one Terri had. The man can express himself. He is VERY sick, but he doesn't want to starve or dehyrate to death, and he doesn't want to die while he is still living. SOME babies cannot swalllow. I work with Pretrem babies. It is rare that a child born before 34 weeks can swallow on their own. They are almost alway put on feeding tubes. Thye are NEVER allowed to die, simply because they lack the ability to swallow on thier own. Most of them recover, and have the tube removed. But I have worked with brain damaged babies who have had them for very LONG lives. My mother has a freind who foster cares for 3 of these children. TWO of them also have respirators. They smile and laugh, they look at you, they are alive. Think of it this way. There are people with colostomies. They can't poop on thier own. Pooping is a natural thing, and a colostomy bag isn't. Should we let EVERYONE who has a problem with a natural function, and needs some "artificial help" be killed? I don't think so. I don't like comparing this to abortion, however. Terri was a grown womyn, and was not living in someone else's body.
May Terry now rest in peace. And may her family and loved ones find peace within their hearts. Now can we PLEASE let this topic rest too? I'm sick of it, the corporate media has beaten it to death, and there are much more pressing issues of our time, such as the civil-liberties crushing Patriot Act, and the nomination of Paul Wolfowitz as the new head of the imperial World Bank. www.globalizethis.org
http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/06/16/schiavo.autopsy.ap/index.html Jeb Bush calls on prosecutor for a probe. Incredible. http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/17/schiavo.governor.ap/index.html .
The thing that pissed me off about the entire situation was the 'passive' euthanasia, that's just cruel and mean. I think that it just prolongs the poor person's suffering because we aren't willing to actively kill him/her. That's such a cop out, don'tcherthink. The only decent thing to do in this situation would have been a morphine overdose or a bullet through the brain...
