Gallardo 1 Deana Gallardo Nathan E Cole English 2010 1 November 2013

Death and Dying

On November 14, 2008 the lives of Brooke and Peggy Hopkins were changed forever. Robin Henig of the New York Times told their story in her article A Life or Death Situation. The Hopkins are an elderly couple who reside in SLC, Utah. Brooke is a teacher at The University of Utah and Peggy is a writer who has devoted herself to writing about Physicians Assisted Suicide (P.A.S.) and why she supports it. November 14 is the day that Brooke got into a terrible biking accident and broke his neck at the top of the spine- leaving him a paraplegic. A runner who saw the accident and happen to be a nurse revived him as someone else called 911. If Peggy had been there she would have kept anyone from reviving him. In Brookes living will he has decided that if he is ever in terminal condition he didnt want any procedures done that would serve only to unnaturally prolong the moment of my death and to unnaturally postpone or prolong the dying process. Fast-forwarding to current day Brooke is still alive; medical bills are at an all time high and life is rather difficult for the couple. There are always at least two nurses in their home taking care of Brooke. He still teaches, but he now does it out of his living room. Brooke has said that the there are more bad days than good ones, but he makes the most

Gallardo 2 of the good days. Knowing that his condition is worsening Brooke has decided that he desires to die in the spring of 2014. With his wife and nurses by his side he will be unplugged from all monitors, ventilators, etc. and slip into a peaceful death. The Hopkins are a prime example of why euthanasia should be legalized. Peggya woman who whole-heartedly believes in P.A.S.- came face to face with the issue. A man who she loved for over thirty years was in such a critical condition, and even though she knew what his wishes were, she was too late on the arrival at the hospital to keep the doctors from getting him as stable as they could. Brooke has lived his last years in unimaginable pain and the bills are outrageous. People who are diagnosed with a terminal illness and are suffering deserve to have to right to choose when they die. As a human we all have the right to die, after all, it is something nobody can escape. If people choose to commit suicide for whatever reasonwhy cant doctors help someone end their life who is already suffering through their final days? The longer you prolong someones inevitable and impending death the more their family has to pay for medical and doctor bills. If an ill person cannot bear the pain anymore and is unnaturally being kept alive this is just piling up unnecessary bills for family members. Isnt it enough to have to grieve over a lost loved one without the additional stress of having to pay for hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills? Journalist Polly Toynbee said, People want the right to die at a time of their own choosing. Too many families have watched helplessly as a relative dies slowly, longing for death. This statement is so full of truth, death is unavoidable and people shouldnt have to endure the painful process to get there. There arent many things that people actually have full control of in life, but death can be one of those things that can, on

Gallardo 3 occasion, be controlled. Anyone can commit suicide at any given moment of his or her life, and someone on their deathbed is just as capable of ending their life as any other; but for someone to be in so much pain and agony to go through the lengths it would take to end their life on their own would be, not only traumatizing for any loved ones who would be effected by it, but also, an extremely lonely way to go out. If someone has been suffering they should be allowed to be put to a peaceful rest surrounded by family members who love them. People who treat assisted suicide lightly are thinking about it completely wrong. This should be a last resort to keep someone from incredible suffering, not a means of getting out of paying medical bills. Euthanasia is for someone who is terminally ill- as in they cannot and will not be cured of their illness. In Oregon people who cannot afford treatment are often times reminded how much more affordable lethal drugs for assisted suicide can be. These physicians are going about this completely wrong and are giving euthanasia a bad name. If a person can be cured then euthanasia should never even be a thought implanted into their brain via doctors or any other health professional. We dont let animals suffer, so why humans? asked Stephen Hawking (Susan Donaldson James) In some situations pain can become unbearable if a physician knows that this pain will only end in death then why not get it over with? People may have entered this world kicking and screaming, but we sure as hell dont have to exit that way. In conclusion, yes, support for the Right to Die act is growing, but more people need to be awakened as to what this issue is and why in fact it is an issue. The right to die act is something that will not only end suffering, but will keep doctors from charging families for prolonging the life of a loved one. If a person is unsure if they are for or

Gallardo 4 against euthanasia then they should take into consideration their own lives. Say you are diagnosed with some type of terminal cancer; sure at the beginning when you hear the news you will want to make every last moment count with your family and wish that it would never have to end. But the end will come and likely rather soon. So in the final stages of your life when you are writhing in pain and wishing that it would just come to an end, wouldnt it be a comfort to know that if you are indeed serious about wanting to end your life that you can do so with the help of a caretaker and also be surrounded by the people who love you?

Gallardo 5

Works Cited ProCon.org. "Top 10 Pros and Cons." ProCon.org. 18 May 2012. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. Robin Martanz Henig, . N.p.. Web. 27 Oct 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/21/magazine/a-life-or-deathsituation.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=euthanasia>. Susan Donaldson James, . N.p.. Web. 31 Oct 2013. <Stephen Hawking Flip On Assisted Suicide Divides Right-to-Die Movement >. Marker, R., and K. Hamlon. N.p.. Web. 3 Nov 2013. <http://www.patientsrightscouncil.org/site/frequently-asked-questions/>.