After reading the Youth Ministry article you'll find in the post following this one, I came across a very small article I would probably have skipped over, but found a lot of ethics in it.
The article was about Christa Lilly, a 49-year old who suffered a cardiac arrest in November of 2000. Since the incident, Ms. Lilly has been in a coma-like state. However, in March 2007, she awoke for three days to talk with family and friends and eat her favorite foods.
The ethics behind this issue bring the name Terry Schiavo to mind. Mrs. Schiavo was the woman in a vegetative state for several years before her husband finally won the case to have her taken off life support.
The Times even includes a statement from Lilly's Doctor, Randall Bjork. "We may have to rethink these people that have been called vegetables in nursing homes who may have some awareness of their horrible circumstances. It does go against the grain of what we thought."
The question of whether it was ethical to remove Schiavo and other cases from life support cannot be re-thought, however, with a case such as Ms. Lilly's coming into view, more thoughts can go into such decision making processes.
During her state of being lucid, Ms. Lilly was able to eat all her favorite foods before going back to her [what is now referred to as] minimally conscious state.
Dr. Bjork said he would like to try to stimulate Ms. Lilly back to awakeful state through various methods, however, her mother refuses. There are, of course, ethics present here. Is it ethical for doctors to want to make a miracle something medical at Ms. Lilly's expense? She shouldn't be paraded around as a guinea pig because she beat out the odds they didn't think possible. Or should she? Because Ms. Lilly is obviously a prime candidate for tests on regaining consciousness, should that be some kind of sign that she could be a medical breakthrough for all other patients that may develop her condition?
Article by: MINDY SINK
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