Active Euthanasia with parental consent

Case Study: Active Euthanasia with Parental Consent Euthanasia, the ‘mercy killing’, has definitely been one of the most difficult ethical dilemmas. Euthanasia is defined “an action or an omission, aimed at and causally implicated in, the death of another for her/his own sake” (Foot, 1997, as cited in Robert, 2004, p. 145). Euthanasia differs from murder, because the action causing the death is for the sake of the person to be killed. Someone might say that the person wanted to die anyway, so why ending his or her lives can be wrong? Is active euthanasia –acting to end the life of another- ever a right moral action? It is not an easy debate whether it is right or wrong to help end someone’s life. Some people might argue that active euthanasia is morally wrong, because there is no objective measure of suffering (Robert, 2004). It can, however, be said that active euthanasia can also be justifiable, because it is to end the person’s misery. The purpose of this paper is to debate whether active euthanasia is ever permissible. This will be accomplished by analyzing the case study: “Active Euthanasia with Parental Consent” (Robert, 2004, p. 153) and providing the best possible moral resolution. The paper will then discuss conclusion.
Case Analysis
The summary of the case story Andrea was a nine-year-old girl who had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of thirteen month. After hospitalization 12 times in the past, (8 times in the last year), she was admitted again for the last time for experimental antibiotic treatment to control her pneumonia. Her condition continued to decline and the parents signed ‘no code’ order without discussing it with Andrea. The parents suggested ‘active euthanasia’ to stop Andrea’s and their suffering, however, the physician refused it due to the law. After her heart began to fail, she was progressively deteriorating, despite the continued medical treatment. It took approximately 48 hours for Andrea