Right to Die?

Two legal cases dealing with the Right to Die are in the news with Pope Francis weighing in with the case of Alfie Evans. The Pope said, “It's our duty to do everything to care for life.”

Alfie Evans is a toddler with a reported degenerative brain disease and has been said to be in a semi-vegetative state in Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool. His parents want to seek treatment outside of the United Kingdom (possibly in Rome) but Alfie's doctors have ruled that he should die with dignity and want to shut off his life support. Now the battle over Alfie's rights is in the courts. Meanwhile, his parents have been in a battle with the hospital over their right to seek medical treatment elsewhere.

The second case is from France. Vincent Lambert is in a vegetative state after an accident and feeding tubes are the only assistance he needs to stay alive. Recently the courts have sided with his wife who wants to remove his feeding tubes and allow Vincent to die. Lambert's parents do not want Vincent to be starved to death.

The cases highlight the difficulties in regards to final life decisions. The Catholic Church teaches our dignity as human persons comes from God and we cannot take life, but must respect it from the moment of conception until natural death. The medical and judicial community have defined life on a sliding scale with the “Right to Die” now spreading to many places.

In the case of life support, the Catholic teaching has been the individual does not have to go to extraordinary means, those which may only prolong the suffering of the dying, and are burdensome or sorrowful. If the person is merely not taking further treatment because of a terminal condition such as stage four cancer with a high death rate, this is considered extraordinary care.

Food and water is considered ordinary means as anyone would die without these. If the withdrawal of the food or hydration is meant to kill the person, or is the cause of death, this is morally wrong.

In the case of Vincent Lambert, the withdrawing of his feeding tubes is euthanasia. In the case of Alfie Evans, his parents are being denied parental rights to take him to a different hospital for medical treatment. Both cases are examples of how courts are making decisions for individuals who cannot speak for themselves.

My father was in a car accident many years ago and stayed in a coma for six weeks. Had he not had a feeding tube, he would have starved to death. Back then, there was no 'Right to Die' movement. After a long rehabilitation, he lived a happy life despite his disabilities. I am thankful that no one sought to end his medical treatment, because the extension of his life was priceless to those of us who loved him.

No one can put a value on how both Alfie Evans and Vincent Lambert add complete joy to the lives of those who love them. Maybe courts should weigh love as they do medical treatment? If they did, they would understand why natural death is preferable to a court order.