Terry Schiavo And Euthanasia

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Terry Schiavo and Euthanasia TERRY SCHIAVO AND EUTHANASIA Throughout this paper I will be arguing for the removal of the feeding tube in the Terry Schiavo euthanasia case that occurred between 1990 and 2005 by giving an ethical analysis of the case, a summary of facts, listing the key ethical issues, and considering opposing critical arguments. FACTS SUMMARY In 1990, Terri Schiavo suffered a cardiac arrest from a potassium imbalance due to bulimia. During this time, her heart stopped, cutting of the supply of oxygen to her brain, which resulted in brain damage. During treatment doctors inserted a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube, which provided Mrs. Schiavo with necessary nutrition and hydration. (Klugman, 2006). Shortly thereafter, doctors performed a series of tests and determined that Mrs. Schiavo was in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) ((ABCNews, 2005, p.1). According to the American Academy of Neurology (1994) PVS is a clinical condition of complete unawareness of self and the environment. A CT scan taken 6 years after the diagnosis found that Mrs. Schiavo’s brain had largely been replaced by cerebrospinal fluid and confirmed that her condition of untreatable (Klugman, 2006). Over the next fifteen years, Terri Schiavo’s husband Michael Schiavo and her parents Bob and Mary Schindler continued to fight over the right to take or keep in the feeding tube that was keeping her alive. Michael Schiavo believed that it was his wife’s wish to not be kept alive by artificial means, while her parents whom were apart of the Catholic church thought that removing the tube was form of suicide and therefore would be going against Mrs. Schiavo’s religion. The fact that Terri Schiavo did not have a living will (a statement of what she would like to happen if she were unable to make her own decisions) made this case even more difficult. Michael

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