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A medical revolution in death-hastening decisions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2003

LEWIS M. COHEN
LEWIS M. COHEN
Affiliation:
Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Massachusetts
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Extract

On one level it was a perfectly ordinary wedding—elaborate floral bouquets adorned the room, the family's favorite lemon cake was covered in sugar-frosted curlicues and topped with traditional tiny statuettes of a happy couple, the bride's gown was splendid, and the wedding feast was complete with shrimp cocktail, filet mignon, and champagne. On another level, as the bride's mother, 58-year-old Amy Plasse slowly walked down the aisle, everyone in the hospital chapel knew that they were participating in an extraordinary event. This was the culmination of Amy's life; she had achieved her final goal—to witness the wedding of her only daughter. The way was prepared to stop the life-support treatment of dialysis and to end the prolongation of her suffering.

Type
ESSAY/PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 1 , Issue 4 , December 2003 , pp. 377 - 379
Copyright
© 2003 Cambridge University Press

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References

REFERENCES

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