Euthanasia Is Wrong Persuasive Essay
Millions of children around the world are living with terminal illnesses, which they fight every day to finally overcome. Some are successful, but others live their lives hooked up to machines or on treatments that lessen their quality of life. Children under the age of eighteen are considered unfit to make decisions regarding their own health care; therefore, the responsibility is in the hands of the parents or legal guardians of the child. What happens when the decisions are not in the best interest of the child, or if the child disagrees? This is where a physician and parent have to decide if they want their child’s life to be based on quantity or quality. Do they want the child to live a long life while being unhappy or a short life while
…show more content…
being happy? When physicians disagree with a parents’ decision physician assisted suicide enters the situation there are numerous occasions in which a physician has assisted a patient under the age of eighteen end their lives. There have been cases where the child has run away to avoid treatment. Children in all parts of the world live in and out of hospitals because they don’t want to go against their parents wishes and some are even being forced to continue treatment. So now it’s up to, you should it be legal for terminally-ill minors to decide when to end treatment?
Not many places in the world have euthanasia available as an option. In fact, it was first made legal in Belgium in 2008 then adapted by Ireland, Netherlands, Colombia and Luxembourg. Euthanasia is the act of putting to death in a painless way or allowing death by withholding medical treatment of terminal, incurable diseases. Euthanasia is most commonly used in animals it is usually referred to as “putting them to sleep” it is the most peaceful and painless way to put them to rest. The Liverpool Care Pathway for Dying Patients has reported an estimate of 130,000 patients euthanized a year. People from all over the world come to this facility in search of a place that will grant them their request for euthanasia. Some patients cannot go to extreme measures to obtain euthanasia legally. The majority of these cases end in physician assisted suicide, Janet Adkins case is a perfect example. Janet was a 54-year-old Alzheimer’s patient who in all honestly just wanted to end her life before her disease took over her mind, so she went in search for a physician who would help her. Soon she found Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who had spent most of his career fighting for patients right to die, and asked him for the help no one could give her. Not long after they agreed to meet in his car where Kevorkian attached an IV to Janet, she took a painkiller then Kevorkian administered a poison. Kevorkian was charged with murder; the charges were later dropped due to Michigan’s indecisive stance on assisted suicide.
While euthanasia and physician assisted suicide is still open for debate in regards to elderly patients, when minors are brought into the mix everyone seems to completely shut down the discussion.
Minors are said to be unfit to make decisions that will majorly affect their life, but how can this be true when we have minors like Malala Yousafzai or Jaylen Bledsoe, who have done so much at such a young age, are seen as genius to the outside world. No one questions their right of mind while making decisions that affect their lives, so why is a child who is terminally-ill deemed less sane? In todays world, children are not taken seriously unless they accomplish something extraordinary. When ever a child voices an opinion about something they will usually be brushed off and told that the situation is to complex for their understanding. Children should be allowed to decide when to end treatment for terminal illnesses.
When it comes to terminal illness one bad decision will usually only yield two outcomes; life or death. This is the main reason as to why the responsibly it given to the parents of the child. A parent is expected to always do what is in the best interest of their child. They are supposedly the people who love and care for him/her the most, so why shouldn’t they be the ones to make decisions about their child’s treatment. A parent is assumed to be the best
choice.
being happy? When physicians disagree with a parents’ decision physician assisted suicide enters the situation there are numerous occasions in which a physician has assisted a patient under the age of eighteen end their lives. There have been cases where the child has run away to avoid treatment. Children in all parts of the world live in and out of hospitals because they don’t want to go against their parents wishes and some are even being forced to continue treatment. So now it’s up to, you should it be legal for terminally-ill minors to decide when to end treatment?
Not many places in the world have euthanasia available as an option. In fact, it was first made legal in Belgium in 2008 then adapted by Ireland, Netherlands, Colombia and Luxembourg. Euthanasia is the act of putting to death in a painless way or allowing death by withholding medical treatment of terminal, incurable diseases. Euthanasia is most commonly used in animals it is usually referred to as “putting them to sleep” it is the most peaceful and painless way to put them to rest. The Liverpool Care Pathway for Dying Patients has reported an estimate of 130,000 patients euthanized a year. People from all over the world come to this facility in search of a place that will grant them their request for euthanasia. Some patients cannot go to extreme measures to obtain euthanasia legally. The majority of these cases end in physician assisted suicide, Janet Adkins case is a perfect example. Janet was a 54-year-old Alzheimer’s patient who in all honestly just wanted to end her life before her disease took over her mind, so she went in search for a physician who would help her. Soon she found Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who had spent most of his career fighting for patients right to die, and asked him for the help no one could give her. Not long after they agreed to meet in his car where Kevorkian attached an IV to Janet, she took a painkiller then Kevorkian administered a poison. Kevorkian was charged with murder; the charges were later dropped due to Michigan’s indecisive stance on assisted suicide.
While euthanasia and physician assisted suicide is still open for debate in regards to elderly patients, when minors are brought into the mix everyone seems to completely shut down the discussion.
Minors are said to be unfit to make decisions that will majorly affect their life, but how can this be true when we have minors like Malala Yousafzai or Jaylen Bledsoe, who have done so much at such a young age, are seen as genius to the outside world. No one questions their right of mind while making decisions that affect their lives, so why is a child who is terminally-ill deemed less sane? In todays world, children are not taken seriously unless they accomplish something extraordinary. When ever a child voices an opinion about something they will usually be brushed off and told that the situation is to complex for their understanding. Children should be allowed to decide when to end treatment for terminal illnesses.
When it comes to terminal illness one bad decision will usually only yield two outcomes; life or death. This is the main reason as to why the responsibly it given to the parents of the child. A parent is expected to always do what is in the best interest of their child. They are supposedly the people who love and care for him/her the most, so why shouldn’t they be the ones to make decisions about their child’s treatment. A parent is assumed to be the best
choice.