To Live or Die

TO LIVE OR DIE

This an ethical dilemma based on a patient on life- support and the decision the family makes in spite of the circumstances seen with the eyes of family and the medical information given by doctors to them. The dilemmas are a husband on life support and the doctor says there is nothing else that can be done medically for him, but his wife being a woman of great faith says she is not going to unplug him from the machine.

The first dilemma is the doctors making the decision to tell the family that there is nothing that can be done for the patient. The patient has been on life- support for a month and a half and was non responsive to everything that was done to him and for him.

The second dilemma is the wife and children having faith that God would hear and answer their prayers and refused to take him off life-support.

The doctors not going against the family's spiritual beliefs goes ahead and agrees to keep the patient on life-support for another month to see if any changes would take place. After a couple of weeks the doctors begin to see changes in the patient and was glad that they had decided to let the family's wish be granted. It is clear that if the doctors had gone against the family wishes their loved one would not be here today to tell others about the miracle that was performed on his life.

The family found themselves faced with a decision to let their loved one live or die. They evaluated their own goals and knew the wishes of the patient. The choice for them to withhold or withdraw life-support was a difficult one and they were wise to have professional support, members of the clergy and family and friends in their corner believing in what they believed