Terri Schiavo was kept 'alive' in a persistent
vegetative state
for 15 years after she lost consciousness for the last time in 1990.
Her brain was deprived of oxygen when her heart when into fibrillation,
probably because she was starving herself to lose weight.
She was not trying to kill herself,
but death was the unintended result of her eating disorder.
If we have eating disorders,
we can avoid this part
of her fate by not starving ourselves.
We can seek good medical attention,
giving our doctors full information about our dieting,
and seeking sound methods of weight-control.
But we might also fall into PVS—persistent
vegetative state—
for dozens of other reasons beyond our control.
Terri Schiavo was not permitted to die
once it was determined that she would never recover
because she had no advance
directive for medical care.
After several years of public debate and legal wrangling,
the courts determined that Terri Schiavo would not have wanted to be
kept alive in PVS
and that her husand had the sole authority to disconnect her
life-supports.
But this long and expensive process could have been
avoided entirely
if she had put her wishes into writing—giving
clear and convincing
proof
that she did not want to be sustained for an indefinite period
in a persistent vegetative state by life-support systems —in
her case a feeding tube going directly into her stomach.
And we can also avoid a similar fate
of being suspended between life and death for a number of years
if we create 'living wills' or advance directives for medical care
which clearly state our wishes if such a situation were to arise.
Some state laws require a higher standard of proof
with regard to withdrawing food and water
than with regard to withdrawing other forms of life-support,
such as turning off a respirator.
Florida—where
Terri Schiavo was ultimately allowed to die—
did require "clear and convincing proof"
that she would not have wanted to be kept alive in PVS.
The easiest and most direct way
to provide such clear and
convincing proof
is to create an Advance
Directive for Medical Care ('living will')
that unambiguously explains exactly what you want
if ever you fall into a persistent vegetative state.
Your statement of your settled values in this regard
could also cover other situations of mental limitation
such as Alzheimer's Disease or other forms of dementia.
This website collects a variety of such
statements.
You are welcome to adopt any parts of these published statements.
Use whatever language works best for you and your family
and that will be accepted in your geographical location.
If you would like to share what you have written
about PVS
in your 'living will' or advance medical directive,
send your statement to the webmaster:
James Park, e-mail: PARKx032@TC.UMN.EDU.
If your statement might be useful to others,
it will be published on this website —without
your name unless you want to identify yourself.
SAMPLE LANGUAGE FOR 'LIVING WILLS' TO
AVOID BEING KEPT 'ALIVE' IN PVS.
FROM JAMES PARK'S
ADVANCE DIRECTIVE FOR MEDICAL CARE
Most people who create Advance Directives for
Medical Care
will want much shorter documents.
Use only the ideas and/or words
that you find useful for your Advance Directive.
Here is a one-paragraph summary of my complete
answer:
6. If I get Alzheimer's disease
or some other condition that limits my mental powers
so that I can no longer plan my own life and death,
then my MCDC shall assess the rest of my life
with the help of medical professionals.
If it seems clear that my life as a full person is over forever,
then my MCDC should take the appropriate measures to end my life
and to donate my body to medical science as explained in Answer 19.
A
SHORT STATEMENT FROM A WOMAN IN MINNESOTA
"Generally
I want no (no is
underlined) extreme measures
taken to
prolong my life when I am in a terminal condition.
I do not want to
live in a vegetative state...
If I have Alzheimer's or some other
condition
such that I cannot care for myself, I would like to be helped
to die.
I do not want artificially administered sustenance...
I am not
religious and feel I should not,
and do not want to be, a burden on my
children or society."
THE
DEMENTIA PROVISION
suggested by Compassion & Choices