TERRY SCHIAVO CASE

Terry Schiavo Ethical Case



Terry Schiavo Ethical Case

Introduction

Terri Schiavo case was originated in Florida which became a widely discussed the issue around the world. Terri's tragedy and her dilemma were discussed in every local newspaper from St. Petersburg, Florida to St. Petersburg, Russia. The dilemma gained media attention when Terri's percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube was permanently removed. Mrs. Schiavo endured severe agony for more than fifteen years, after she suffered a heart attack which resulted persistent vegetative state (PVS). For many years, the complex drama became a tragic family concern, which exploded on the national stage as a defining moment in the cultural conflict over how legal, medical, and religious communities negotiate difficult dilemmas in the end-of-life context. The paper aims to discuss the background of Terri Schiavo's case, a thorough examination of the dilemma, ethical decision, and arguments in favor and against the dilemma based on the model.

Discussion

Background

Advances in neuroscience enabled doctors to make diagnoses more precise and clear about brain conditions, and that MRI allows the observation of neural circuits in action.

The dilemma of the Schiavo family came to television, newspapers and magazines around the world. The struggle between the parents, spouse, government, and U.S. citizenship continues to be debated by experts and individuals, and their tragic conditions have inspired new laws on the difficult task of deciding between death and life without hope (Madelaine, 1997).

However, the expectations of some that women can ever recover are not based on scientific knowledge that one has about her condition. Rather, many people have a misconception of what the brain damage of various types of damage which can lead to conditions such as Terri's.

Terri waited for her death after a federal judge expressed that it was unnecessary to connect the feeding tube again.

However, Terri's parents and most of the people around the world, did not agree with the judges and her husband's decision. It was a common opinion to favor life even when there was no hope and quality of life. This is based on current neuroscience.

According to Nicholas Schiff of Weill Medical College of Cornell University New York, unfortunately, people who were in favor of Terri Schiavo to live, ignored the consensus on her condition. The fact that her brain had been without oxygen, and the severity of her condition suggested Terri would never have recovered. There was no evidence that suggested that there was little hope that she would revive and respond to therapy (Evans, 2008).

Terri Schiavo suffered a heart attack in 1990 that kept her brain without oxygen for an extensive time. As a result, it caused severe damage to her brain. Those who suffer such problems fall into a deep coma, which is a state of unconsciousness with eyes closed. However, patients tend to open their eyes for two to four weeks and often laugh, cry and move spontaneously, but are unable to follow orders because the brain damage remains, especially when the lack of oxygen affects the entire organ, as happened to ...