Doctors pushed paralyzed Irish man to refuse ventilator and die
by Hilary White
Tue Apr 12, 2011 13:00 EST
Simon Fitzmaurice with his wife and children.
Ruth Fitzmaurice and Cyril Byrne
DUBLIN, April 12, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In a powerful op-ed in today’s Irish Times, an Irish man with degenerative motor neurone disease (MND) has revealed how he was heavily pressured by the medical community to refuse the ventilator that is keeping him alive.
After having been admitted to intensive care for pneumonia, a common complication for paralyzed patients, Simon Fitzmaurice began receiving assisted breathing and a feeding tube. Shortly after being admitted, Fitzmaurice said, a doctor came in and told him it was rare and expensive for patients to have a ventilator at home.
The doctor told him, with his wife and mother present, “That it is time for me to make the hard choice. He tells me that there have only been two cases of invasive home ventilation, but in both cases the people were extremely wealthy.”
“He looks at me. ‘This is it now for you. It is time for you to make the hard choice, Simon.’ My mother and my wife are now holding each other, sobbing.” Click "Here" for the complete article.
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This is another heartfelt and touching example of the value of life in today's society. Simon Fitzmaurice has been pressured by the medical profession to remove his ventilator and just die. However, Simon is not ready to give up the battle because of his loving family and friends.
This is another example of where "Money" talks....if you are wealthy you can prolong your life, but if you are not-- it's time to pull the plug! What is the value of a human life today? Euthanasia and assisted suicide are becoming a norm in this world we live in.
Let us pray for those who are not healthy and those who are disabled because they are all vulnerable to those who have control over life and death. Those who believe that humane life is no longer sacred and that when a person has no "value" to society and becomes a "burden" then it's time to put them to sleep like a "family pet". I want to tell you my friends...THIS IS NOT GOD'S WILL! God's Judgement will prevail.
13 comments:
You can have all this world, JUST GIVE ME JESUS.
How scary to think that doctors who supposedly took thehypocratic oath to save lives are now trying to take them. This should send a huge alarm to our nation and as believers, we must be praying!
More emphasis is given to animal cruelty than to killing a person in the media today. Praise God, this world is just temporary. We just have to stand for right until Jesus comes.
Thanks so much for this post. I really appreciate your heart and your sharing with us. Life is so sacred, and we treat it so casually---as one of your commenters alluded to, we almost value animal's lives more than people's (especially here in California!). I am sorry for the pain you have gone through in your own life, but I so appreciate your holding tighter to our Lord through it, instead of turning away. May God bless you and continue to pour out over you and yours and this ministry of your blog.
I'm so glad he resisted their pressure and chose to live! It isn't the doctor's call at all to play God with peoples' lives.
Okay, I had heard that in some countries, insurance companies would put off needed medical care until the patient died, so they wouldn't have to pay, but this is rediculous!
If you notice, what the doctor basically said was, "you can either lose your money and live longer, or you can keep your money and die."
And he encouraged the latter choice.
What good is money if you're not alive to spend it?
Which would you rather have, life or money?
Personally, I might refuse the ventilator, but I wouldn't let some doctor tell what to do. Guess I'm just bull-headed!
It is one of the most discouraging thing in the world, to hear a doctor say there is nothing more we can do. I have been there twice, thank God he was there to! When doctors can do nothing more, or will do nothing more. God will.
It is incredibly disheartening to read this article and take in that this is the reality we live in. Romans 1-3 condemns the entire world as we ever live to prove the things written therein.
I have a six year old, and another child on the way. I fear for them and the world that they will face. We are in the process of devaluing life, what will be its value when it is their time to take the wheel?
For now, as we see such wickedness, it is ours to go out and shine our Light before the world; calling all to repentance and faith.
The only way to turn this thing around is for the hearts of men to be changed, and only Christ can change the hearts of men. Let us abide in Christ and pray for His Spirit to sweep the land.
Thank you for sharing this article.
Blessings,
Michael
Lloyd this is very thoughtful of you.I will remember to keep them in prayers as well you my found friend.Continue visiting my page as i do you and lets keep this network active.God bless.
How sad that we have come to this point in our culture.
I know a Christian man with ALS who is bed-ridden and has lived much, much longer than was expected by doctors - he sends a devotional email every week and it is such an inspiration and blessing to those who read it -he is serving God even if he has to type each word with his mouth. His love for life is so apparent and I am so glad he is still on this earth.
P.S. I so appreciated Susie's comment - ultimately God is in control.
Lloyd,
This is simply horrible and disgusting!
I have a mother who has various complications with illnesses, and I could not imagine a doctor telling me something like this!
It's truly sad that certain members of society do not view those who appear to have a "lower status" not worthy of life or worth. It's things like this that make me thankful that Christ has other plans.
Blessings,
-L. Rose
I guess the doctor skipped taking Hippocratic Oath.How long before this happens in America?
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