Mom of 13yo on vent fights for 2nd opinion- hate on display

[Opti]

Tenn, your link will probably work. Mine might not because it may have been
renamed or moved. I'm working off of hard copy.

[Deleted]

Jan 13, 2014 11:19:43 GMT -5 Opti said:

This right to life crap won't stand the test of time. They will finally realize economically no state can afford this.

If what someone posted is true, Texas isn't the one paying for this.
The law forces people to do this and pay for the priviledge of having
the mom's body on machines and then of course you get stuck paying
for any subsequent bills 18 years or perhaps for life if you end up with
a child who will need lifetime support.


True conservatives wouldn't like this law. I almost wonder if any are
left, because they don't seem to post on P&M that I can tell. What
we tend to call the religious right or the right wing IMO would spend any
amount of money on making sure fetuses are born and the US military
remains more funded than anywhere else on the planet. They are pro-life
especially if they(MO) can force you to incur the cost. Not all, but many
IMO are vehemently pro-birth to the exclusion of having any pro-life stances
for anyone under 9 months of age. I think a more accurate name would be
pro forced birth because life is much more than months 1 to 9.

i hate this law!

the government should have ZERO say in this matter

if the husband wants to unhook his wife from life support he should damn well have that right

for a state to not only take away that right, but then to have the GALL to not put into the law support for the families that this will affect.....pure idiocy!

[lynnerself]

Interesting article on how different races view end of life care:

"A November Pew Research Center poll found substantial differences in the amount, timing and type of medical intervention that black and white Americans believe to be appropriate. In fact, only 33 percent of blacks said that there are circumstances in which patients should be allowed to die, compared with 65 percent of non-Hispanic white Americans. Another 61 percent of blacks told Pew researchers that doctors should be obligated to continue and provide any type of care possible, while just 26 percent of whites agreed."

host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/janell-ross-california-girl-s-family-reflects-blacks-deep-mistrust/article_acd7bdd1-a8bd-5532-b5fc-e2a7eadf1216.html


"To put it simply, while many white Americans have become increasingly concerned about the ability to reject, refuse or remove medical care, African-Americans remain deeply concerned with access to care, even at the very end."

[mmhmm]

Frankly, my experience with end of life decision making puts the onus on education more than on skin color.  The less educated tend to want the most intervention despite possible outcomes.  The more educated the family, or the prime decision maker, the more likely there will be less push for extreme measures when there is little chance of success.

[billisonboard]

Jan 13, 2014 12:57:50 GMT -5 lynnerself said:

Interesting article on how different races view end of life care:

"A November Pew Research Center poll

Here is the Pew story: www.pewforum.org/2013/11/21/views-on-end-of-life-medical-treatments/ which gives more information (if anyone is interested).

[Sum Dum Gai]

Less educated people are probably more likely to think they'll beat the odds.  Look at the percentages of people that play the lottery between college grads and high school dropouts.

[DVM gone riding]

Jan 13, 2014 14:02:19 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

Frankly, my experience with end of life decision making puts the onus on education more than on skin color.  The less educated tend to want the most intervention despite possible outcomes.  The more educated the family, or the prime decision maker, the more likely there will be less push for extreme measures when there is little chance of success.

I think that is an accurate description regardless of color of skin. any so called race comparison differences studies need to be balanced for education level. Sadly it is significantly lower on average in black america. and sadly there is a significant decrease in children born to 2 parent households which makes a difference in just about every statistic.

[thyme4change]

Jan 13, 2014 14:02:19 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

Frankly, my experience with end of life decision making puts the onus on education more than on skin color.  The less educated tend to want the most intervention despite possible outcomes.  The more educated the family, or the prime decision maker, the more likely there will be less push for extreme measures when there is little chance of success.

Wow - I have never thought about the difference in attitude of life support per economic or education level.  Now that you say it, it makes sense, I guess.  

[Tennesseer]

A different debilitating incident, a different medical condition, but an interesting life story. 

As his 7-year-old son Mikey lay in a hospital bed on life support, the victim of a drunk driver who had smashed into his family's car, Paul Cortez took the boy's hand and made a solemn promise to God: If his son survived, no matter in what condition, he and his family would always be there for him.

It was a promise the family would keep for 31 years, during a time in which Mikey would grow from little boy to teenager and, finally, into strapping, 150-pound adult.

Although he would never emerge from the persistent vegetative state his father had found him in that night, Mikey's family was not only there for him but also gave him a full life. A life, as it turned out, not all that different from anybody else's, with cross-country family vacations and visits to Disneyland.

Full story here:  Family promise gave life to man in 31-year coma

[sesfw]

A life, as it turned out, not all that different from anybody else's, with cross-country family vacations and visits to Disneyland.

This is a story full of family love.  Mikey had brain damage but his brain didn't die.  His body finally got tired and he needed the eternal rest.  The circle hasn't been broken, just changed.

Blessings to all of them.

[mmhmm]

It is a bittersweet story, isn't it, sesfw?  That family dedicated themselves completely to their boy, and that's really something.  While he wasn't brain dead like little Jahi, he was unable to take part in family life the way most children do; so, the family created a part for him.  Now, he's moved on.  I hope they can heal and their memories bring them peace.