Doctors say ‘do not resuscitate’ Down’s syndrome man

Doctors say ‘do not resuscitate’ Down’s syndrome man | News | The Christian Institute: A family is taking legal action after doctors placed a ‘do not resuscitate’ (DNR) order on a male patient who has Down’s syndrome. The man, who also suffers from dementia, was in hospital in Margate to have a feeding tube fitted. The family were unaware of the decision made by the doctors despite visits almost daily. The DNR form was only discovered when carers found it in a bag on the man’s return to his care home.

Related: Daily Mail article on abortion of IVF babies for Down’s syndrome reveals frightening attitudes to disability

'via Blog this'

Aging population 'is leading to crisis in end-of-life care'

Ageing population 'is leading to crisis in end-of-life care' - Telegraph: Britain faces a growing crisis in its ability to care for people dying of cancer, dementia and other long-term diseases, doctors are warning.

'via Blog this'

Massachusetts religious communities divided over doctor-assisted suicide measure

Massachusetts religious communities divided over doctor-assisted suicide measure - News - Boston.com: In the broadest terms, the teachings of most forms of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam oppose ending life before natural death. Eight prominent Reform rabbis began circulating a letter to their colleagues Monday argu­ing in a gentle tone against the ballot question, which would allow a coherent patient who is expected to survive six months or less to ask a physician for life-ending medication. “Although Reform Judaism gives personal autonomy great weight, Judaism has always under­stood that life is a gift and that ultimately life belongs to God,” the letter says.

Opposition is not uniform. A few denominations, like the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, with about 22,000 members in Massachusetts, officially support the concept. The Unitarians and other mainline Protestant denominations typically do not take positions on specific state proposals.

'via Blog this'

Health minister says disabled should have help killing themselves

Health minister's assisted suicide comments condemned by SPUC Pro-Life: In an interview in The Times newspaper, Britain's new health minister Anna Soubry called it "ridiculous" that disabled and chronically-ill people are not given help to kill themselves in Britain."

Related: Italy "too Catholic" to legalize killing the disabled

'via Blog this'

Euthanasia campaigner faces another challenge

Euthanasia campaigner faces another challenge - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): An inquiry into Dr Nitscke's application to import the euthanasia drug nembutal was launched by the Australian Medical Board last year. He is now facing a second investigation, into his role in promoting and importing nitrogen cylinders that can be used for euthanasia, and his suitability to practice medicine.

'via Blog this'

Dutch coma prince 'should leave UK so he can die' in Netherlands

Dutch coma prince 'should leave UK so he can die' in Netherlands - London - News - Evening Standard: Prince Friso, 43, has been in a coma for six months after he was caught in an avalanche while skiing in the Austrian resort of Lech. His wife Princess Mabel has been keeping a vigil at his bedside at the Wellington Hospital in St John’s Wood with his mother Queen Beatrice flying to London almost every weekend to be at his bedside.

Netherlands senator Heleen Dupuis said: “It’s questionable whether the prince will ever have a normal life again. Had the prince been sent to a Dutch hospital, doctors would probably have turned off the life support systems because there is such a slim possibility that he will ever recover.”

Editor: Yes, without a doubt, if the prince had been in the Netherlands they would have pulled the plug.

'via Blog this'

DVDs available: Human Life Alliance conference on euthanasia

Human Life Alliance - Cart: Imposed Death: A Conference on Stealth Euthanasia 2012 exposes common misunderstandings associated with Living Wills and end-of-life decisions. This DVD Set documents society's progress down the "slippery slope" of assisted suicide and euthanasia to dehumanize the elderly, disabled, and medically vulnerable. Price: $20.00 each. Includes:

Talk 1 Alex Schadenberg: Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide; Let's Be Clear About What It Is
Talk 2 Ron Panzer: Stealth Euthanasia
Talk 3 Julie Grimstad: Health Care Decision Making-Part 1
Talk 4 Julie Grimstad: Health Care Decision Making-Part 2
Talk 5 Alex Schadenberg: Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
Talk 6 Cristen Crebs: Hospice
Talk 7 Mary Kellett: Hospice and Euthanasia for Children
Talk 8 Questions and Answers

'via Blog this'

New test touted as a life-saver, but is it really?

The Telegraph headline read, "Blood test for Downs 'could avert 300 miscarriages a year'" because more invasive and dangerous tests could be avoided. But how many more children with Down syndrome will be killed as a result? The correspondent writes that Down syndrome affects about 750 babies a year. Presumably he's only talking about the UK.

The article cited Professor Kypros Nicolaides (of the Harris Birthright Research Centre for Foetal Medicine at King’s College Hospital in London) as saying, “For every 10,000 women, 30 carry foetuses with Downs.The current process picks up 27 but miss[es] the other three. With the new test, we will pick up all 30.”

Does that mean all 750 will be aborted? No. Current figures suggest anywhere from 67% to 85% (502 to 637) of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted. So presumably 10% more Down syndrome babies would be detected before birth because of this "better" test, and none missed -- unless parents opt out of testing. Perhaps 10% more would be aborted.

Additional reading:

• Unexpected Blessings - What's it like having a child with Down syndrome? Hard? Scary? Yes, but the author has also found many blessings in life with her daughter Ava.
• Our Blessing, a.k.a. Down Syndrome

Euthanasia guides adopted in Netherlands

Euthanasia guides adopted in Netherlands - UPI.com: An agreement on joint guidelines on euthanasia was reached between the associations representing doctors and pharmacists in the Netherlands, officials said. The new guidelines replace those developed five years ago by the pharmacists, and not only contain technical information about the amount of a drug to be administered, but also explain for the first time why a certain method has been chosen.

'via Blog this'

Is brain death - death? New Canadian brain-death guidelines

ALEX SCHADENBERG: Is brain death - death? New Canadian brain-death guidelines.: There have been many concerns about whether organ donors are dead before their organs are removed, but the current Canadian guidelines appear to make it more likely that death occurs from the removal of organs rather than waiting for death to occur and then removing organs from a dead donor. National Post article; McGill Journal of Law and Health article

'via Blog this'

Suicide Pushers Impact UK Statistics

Suicide Pushers Impact UK Statistics » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: "They must be so proud–the ghouls who give people moral permission to kill themselves and then teach them how to do it with helium. Now, enough people are doing themselves in with this method that the increase is reflected in UK death statistics."

'via Blog this'

Latest from Caring Right at Home

• Emergency Preparation for Family Caregivers
• Bureau of Labor Takes Note of Elder Care Provided by Families
• Five Common Eye Care Myths
• Online Buzz: Introducing Older Adults to the Internet

Debate over euthanasia in Australia

from the desk of Paul Russell: Paul and Philip Nitschke - debate in Adelaide: Pro-lifer Paul Russell recently debated Australia's Dr. Death. He said, "Euthanasia and assisted suicide legislation cannot be made safe. What we’re talking about is legislating to allow people to kill other people. Unless you’re posing a serious and present threat to my life, I can’t kill you. That’s a good thing. We all enjoy this protection in law equally, every one of us.
But, now we’re saying that it’s okay for someone else to kill you. That is the fundamental issue: we will be making an exception to the Criminal Code that changes the laws on homicide. That is serious stuff. We’d be creating a right for someone else to kill us or, to put it another way, a right to be killed."

'via Blog this'

Mercy killings, suicide: 'Social challenges' to be faced as U.S. ages

Mercy killings, suicide: 'Social challenges' to be faced as U.S. ages - latimes.com: Murder or mercy killing? One story that dominated headlines this week raised that question in a particularly dramatic fashion: An Ohio man is accused of shooting to death his ailing wife of 45 years, possibly as part of a "death pact" promise to prevent her from suffering.

In the coming years, many other Americans will be wrestling with similar questions about how, and when, to end their own lives or the life of a loved one. "This is going to become one of the great social challenges of the next 20 years," predicted Arthur Caplan, one of the nation's foremost bioethicists.

Editor: In Our Neurotic Fear of Suffering, Wesley Smith notes that back when people "actually did die in agony, there was little agitation for euthanasia."

'via Blog this'

No plans to establish Fiji death clinic

No plans to establish Fiji death clinic: Govt: Prominent Australian right-to-die campaigner Philip Nitschke said today he wants to set up an assisted suicide clinic in Fiji and that the government in Suva was seriously considering it. However, in a statement, government said there are no plans to establish such a facility in Fiji.

'via Blog this'

Medical Journals Show Increasing Support for Euthanasia

Medical Journals Show Increasing Support for Euthanasia | LifeNews.com: The sacred trust of the doctor-patient relationship is being strained by a new ethical model. Physicians are being urged to place the “greater good” above the needs of their individual patients. A disregard for the sanctity of human life as well as a utilitarian philosophy that judges the value of a patient to society is becoming more mainstream in the medical profession. This is evidenced by the increasing number of articles in respected medical journals that call for approval of assisted suicide and euthanasia, euphemistically called “assisted dying.”

'via Blog this'

Our Neurotic Fear of Suffering

Our Neurotic Fear of Suffering | First Things: Wesley J. Smith writes, "Thanks to tremendous breakthroughs in modern medicine, suffering has been pushed largely into the shadows. Surgeries no longer kill from the pain. Hospice and palliative care offer tremendous relief for even the most painful chronic and terminal diseases. The problem today isn’t primarily one of preventing agony, but rather, our sometimes inadequate delivery of efficacious and timely palliation.

"Ironically, our many medical triumphs and the consequential receding of serious suffering from everyday experience created a concomitant terror of travail that threatens the morality of society. For example, when people actually did die in agony, there was little agitation for euthanasia. Yet today, when writhing demises are entirely preventable—even if it occasionally requires sedation—many support voluntary killing as the best solution to incurable disease and disability.

"That paradox used to make me wonder: Why euthanasia now, when there is less 'need' for such drastic action than ever before in human history? "

'via Blog this'

Beyond Suffering Online Courses

Joni and Friends: Christian Institute on Disability Have you ever suffered physically, emotionally or spiritually and wondered why? Do you have family members or friends with disabilities and struggle to know what to say or how to act around them? 

People with disabilities are considered one of the world's largest under-represented groups and the church is largely unprepared for the burgeoning disabled population. One of the primary goals of the Beyond Suffering Course is to address this issue by preparing leaders in ministry, education, medicine and science to become involved in this life-changing ministry. 

Beyond Suffering is now being offered online in three formats through the Christian Institute on Disability: 

1. A 16 Week Certificate Course (starting September 4, 2012), 

2. An Independent Study Program, and 

3. A 5 Day Training Seminar for students who have completed the Certificate Course and seek to become Certified Leaders of Beyond Suffering. 

Register today and become a beacon of hope for the disability community!

Mom fights Texas hospital’s removal of food and water from 12-year-old son

Zach McDaniel suffered a severe head injury two weeks ago when he was caught in the crossfire of an alleged drug dispute in Abilene, Texas. He was placed on life support under heavy sedation at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth. McDaniel has been heavily sedated and reportedly has yet to regain consciousness, but was able to breathe on his own when the ventilator was removed.

Texas Right to Life Legislative Director John Seago told LifeSiteNews.com that Cook doctors had begun pressuring McDaniel’s family to consider allowing the boy’s organs to be removed only hours after his brain surgery commenced. But it was when Zach’s family was told in a possible miscommunication that part of his brain was missing - a fact later contradicted by brain imagery - that they became suspicious, Seago said, and “started slowing down the organ donation conversation.”

Is Your Life a Puzzle?

Is Your Life a Puzzle? | Blog | Joni and Friends: "I was a 19-year-old quadriplegic, and I was just beginning to dig into God's Word to try to figure out the puzzle of my suffering. What did my search of Scripture show me? Wisdom is not the ability to figure out the puzzle pieces of your life and how they fit. Rather, wisdom is trusting God even when things don't fit; even when lots of the pieces remain missing."

'via Blog this'

Euthanasia Already Happening In NZ Hospitals, according to Prime Minister

Euthanasia Already Happening In Hospitals, Says... | Stuff.co.nz: Prime Minister John Key says euthanasia already happens in our hospitals - and if he was terminally ill, he would consider it. Doctors disagreed with him, saying his view of the situation was too simplistic.

'via Blog this'

Caregiver burnout: 10 ways to recharge and refocus

A Better You | Helpful Tips | CarePages.com: Caring for others can take so much time, work and effort that stress and anxiety can often get the best of you. Studies show that female caregivers, in particular, have more emotional and physical health problems.The key to avoiding burnout is using regular tools to keep yourself in check.

'via Blog this'

Man with locked-in syndrome 'amazingly happy', says wife

BBC News - Man with locked-in syndrome 'amazingly happy', says wife: Michael Cubiss has locked-in syndrome, which means he's paralysed and can't talk. A High Court decision not to allow doctors to end the life of fellow sufferer, Tony Nicklinson, without fear of prosecution had a profound impact on Michael and his wife Wendy. The Oxfordshire couple contacted BBC Breakfast because they wanted to show that living with locked-in syndrome can be positive.

Related: Right-to-die man Tony Nicklinson dead after refusing food

'via Blog this'

Theology of disability devotional series

Daily Devotionals | Words of Hope: Steve Laman writes -- "Our disabilities and hardships can either drive us to the feet of Jesus or drive us away from him. I am grateful that my parents never turned their backs on the Lord when they learned that I was born with cerebral palsy. When I was old enough they began to teach me the hope that the Bible has for those of us who have disabilities and for all who suffer. In this series I pray that we can discover this hope." Follow this series August 1-16.

'via Blog this'

Help for Those in Pain or Depression

Help for Those in Pain or Depression | Blog | Joni and Friends: Joni says, "For years I've been longing to create something personal and powerful to help people dealing with pain or deep discouragement, and now, I'm so glad I can offer two brand-new resources – one is a DVD/Bible study called How Can God Help You Deal with Chronic Pain, Disability & Illness; the other DVD/Bible study is God's Comfort When You Are Discouraged and Fear the Future.

"These videos are from an interview I did on The John Ankerberg Show with Dr. Michael Easley, professor emeritus of Moody Bible Institute (he has degenerative disc disorder). I'm convinced these excellent DVDs and Bible studies will help anyone wrestling with pain or discouragement. So if you are struggling with pain, or you know someone who needs encouragement, these DVDs and studies are for you, 'For God hears the cry of the afflicted' (Psalm 10:17)."

'via Blog this'

Muslim man's family in right-to-life hospital court battle

BBC News - Muslim man's family in right-to-life hospital court battle: Claire Watson, appearing for the trust, said his physical condition would deteriorate over time and he would develop wasting, skin sores and muscle tightening which would cause pain if he is capable of feeling. "Rather than there being the prolongation of life, there would be the prolongation of death and lack of dignity."

Patient L suffered severe brain damage following a third cardiac arrest in mid-July and relatives say it is too early to determine whether he is in a "permanent" vegetative state, arguing they have observed "some degree of responsiveness." A Do Not Resuscitate notice was placed in his notes without consulting the family in contravention of the trust's own policy.

Editor: Death is death. It can't be prolonged, as life can.  And "lack of dignity" is a judgment call.

'via Blog this'

Obamacare’s Threat of Centralized Control

Obamacare’s Threat of Centralized Control » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: "I don’t like much about Obamacare. But most urgently, I oppose its imposition of anti-American centralized control–in the sense that it is the antithesis of the Founders’ governing philosophy–and hopeless complexity over a huge sector of the American economy, as much about the seizure of raw power as it is about restraining costs. That’s the NHS model.  No, not in the method of its funding but the flawed presumption that bureaucrats somehow know best."

'via Blog this'

Users of Assisted Suicide are Seniors with Money

"Choice" Is An Illusion: Users of Assisted Suicide are Seniors with Money: Users of assisteds suicide are "overwhelmingly white, well educated and financially comfortable." They are also age 65 and older. In other words, users are older people with money, which would be the middle class and above, a group disproportionately at risk of financial abuse and exploitation.

'via Blog this'

Grief Is Like a Boulder on My Chest

Grief Is Like a Boulder on My Chest - The Gospel Coalition: Nancy Guthrie says grieving does not mean we have lost our faith.

'via Blog this'

Should the Autistic Be Denied Organ Transplants?

Should the Autistic Be Denied Organ Transplants? » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: An autistic man has been denied a heart transplant, apparently because of his mental disability. From the AP story:

In a letter, dated June 13, 2011, Dr. Susan Brozena wrote: “I have recommended against transplant given his psychiatric issues, autism, the complexity of the process, multiple procedures and the unknown and unpredictable effect of steroids on behavior.” His mother said she was taken aback by the decision and noted that her son, who is diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, was upset by the decision, but optimistic that a transplant could come. “He just needs a fighting chance and the same rights to medical care as others his age,” she said in a statement. “Autism is not a terminal disease and we cannot allow it to become one.”

'via Blog this'

Paralysed man who wanted ‘right to be killed’ loses case

Paralysed man who wanted ‘right to be killed’ loses case | News | The Christian Institute: High Court judges have ruled that doctors cannot kill a severely paralysed man, in a landmark euthanasia case. The ruling has been welcomed by pro-lifers, who say legalizing euthanasia would put vulnerable people at risk.

Tony Nicklinson’s ‘locked-in’ condition means his mind is active but he cannot move most of his body. He communicates by blinking. Mr Nicklinson was seeking euthanasia, and not assisted suicide. The High Court also ruled against a second man, known only as ‘Martin’, who asked for the right to call on others to help him die.

Lord Justice Toulson, who was sitting with two other judges, noted that the cases of Mr Nicklinson and Martin were “deeply moving”, but it was not for the court to change the law in this area.

'via Blog this'

Docs criticise religious parents for prolonging life support

Docs criticise religious parents for prolonging life support | News | The Christian Institute: Doctors writing in the Journal of Medical Ethics have strongly criticized religious parents who refuse to agree to the withdrawal of medical treatment from their critically ill children. They said fundamentalist Christians with African roots were a particular problem because they expressed “expectation of miraculous intervention.” The doctors are calling for a review of the legal system so that parents’ religious beliefs carry less weight.

But a legal expert from Oxford University has accused the doctors of reducing children’s best interests to essentially medical criteria. Charles Foster said the doctors “seem to think that because we are becoming an increasingly ‘secular society’ there is some sort of democratically ordained mandate to impose secular values on everyone.”

'via Blog this'

Euthanasia is a Cultural Addiction

Euthanasia is a Cultural Addiction » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: The Netherlands opened the doors to euthanasia way back in 1973. Since then, it has fallen off a vertical moral cliff with the killing agenda having spread to the pediatric wards, the mentally ill, and now stalking the elderly “tired of life.”

But even that isn’t enough. The cultural death addiction is now spreading, to the point that people want to be able to do each other. That process is moving ahead with Hemlock Society type advocacy of assisted suicide proselytizing. From the Radio Netherlands story:

A special website has been launched in the Netherlands for people who assist family or friends to commit suicide and want to tell their stories anonymously, or simply ask questions. Assisted suicide carried out by lay people is currently punishable by law.

'via Blog this'

Sanctity of life law "gone too far"?

Sanctity of life law has gone too far | BMJ: In a recent court case involving removal of "artificial" nutrition and hydration, a judge said, “[given] the importance of the sanctity of life, and the fatal consequences of withdrawing treatment, and the absence of an advance decision that complied with the requirements previously specified by the common law and now under statute, it would in my judgment be wrong to attach significant weight to those statements made prior to her collapse.” Medical ethics professor Raanon Gillion thinks two aspects of this judgment are "profoundly disturbing."

'via Blog this'

Doctors debate physician assisted suicide in MA

• Dr. Marcia Angell: Ballot question to allow physician aid in dying respects patient wishes - Boston Medical News - White Coat Notes - Boston.com:
• Dr. Barbara Rockett: Physician-assisted suicide “in direct conflict” with doctor’s role

'via Blog this'

Palliative Medicine Society goes on the front foot

Palliative Medicine Society goes on the front foot | NRL News Today: “We should focus on excellence of hospice and palliative care not euthanasia.” The Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine believes that the practice of euthanasia and assisted suicide are outside the discipline of Palliative Medicine. The Society endorses the New Zealand Medical Association’s Position Statement on Euthanasia, and similarly the World Medial Association’s which state that euthanasia and doctor-assisted suicide are unethical. This position is not dependent on euthanasia and doctor-assisted suicide remaining unlawful. Even if they were to become legal, or decriminalised, the NZMA would continue to regard them as unethical.

'via Blog this'

4 ways to relieve chronic pain without pills

Chronic Pain - Exercise, Weight Loss, and Meditation for Pill-Free Pain Relief - RealAge:  Plus 5 myths about chronic pain.

'via Blog this'

An epidemic of special needs kids heads for a crisis of care

An epidemic of special needs kids heads for a crisis of care - Newsweek and The Daily Beast: The special-needs population is growing. Government funding is shrinking. The coming crisis for millions of parents.

Editor: An epidemic? Children with disabilities are like a disease? What a poor choice of wording!

'via Blog this'

Assisted Suicide Backers Confident They'll Win in Massachusetts

Assisted Suicide Backers Confident They'll Win in Massachusetts | LifeNews.com: “We’re confident … that we’ll be successful in November,” said Stephen Crawford, communications director of the pro-assisted suicide “Dignity 2012” campaign. Media coverage of the debate has been decidedly in favor of the proposal. According to Loughman, the press has used the word “medication,” which should cure, instead of the descriptive, “lethal dose.”

'via Blog this'

What does it mean to carry your cross?

Joni & Friends: I have looked at my wheelchair as my cross to bear, but is it? What exactly isthe cross I am to take up daily? What about you? Is your cross your arthritis, a dead end job? Is your cross to bear an unhappy marriage, or recurring headaches? Are these the things the Lord had in mind when He told us to take up our cross daily and follow Him?

Well, I think the answer to that question can be found in the cross of Christ, because when He took up His cross, He was taking on the sins of the world; He was bearing our transgressions; He was willing to be nailed to the cross and die for our sins. And friend, that right there helps shape our view on what it should mean to take up our cross daily. It basically means to die to the sins that Jesus died for on His cross. In other words, my cross to bear is not my wheelchair, it’s my rotten attitude about my wheelchair; it’s the fear and the anxiety, the anger I sometimes have when everything about my disability seems to go wrong at once. It’s the occasional doubts I have about God being in control. These are the things I must die to, because these are the sins Christ died for. So when I take up my cross daily, I purpose to be like Jesus. I want to die to sin and live for God.

Complete Guide to Caring for Aging Loved Ones

Christianbook.com: Complete Guide to Caring for Aging Loved Ones: Edited By: Henry Holstege, Robert Rickse By: Focus on the Family: 9781414301600: Whether you're facing the prospect of caring for an aging loved one or are currently in the midst of it, here's the help and hope you need to manage the practical, emotional and spiritual aspects of caregiving. This long-overdue reference deals with important topics like understanding your multiple roles as caregiver, finding quality medical, financial and legal advice, and many other end-of-life issues. Paperback.

'via Blog this'

Surgeons balk at withdrawing life support after medical errors

Surgeons balk at withdrawing life support after medical errors - amednews.com: They feel responsible for their patients’ welfare and want to see them pull through after high-risk procedures, according to a new study.

'via Blog this'

Brain dead patients could be kept alive to harvest their organs

Brain dead patients could be kept alive to harvest their organs for NHS - Telegraph: UK hospitals could be allowed to keep patients with massive brain injuries alive solely to harvest their organs. NHS Blood and Transplant is considering radical ways to increase the supply of organs - including that registered donors should receive preferential treatment. The 19 million people on the Organ Donation Register could also be given preference in the event of needing an organ, over those who are not.

'via Blog this'

2 UC Davis Surgeons Banned From Human Research

2 UC Davis Surgeons Banned From Human Research - ABC News: Two University of California at Davis surgeons have been banned from doing human research after they injected bacteria into the head wounds of consenting terminally ill patients without university authorization.

'via Blog this'

Controversial Down's syndrome testing gets Swiss go-ahead

Controversial Down's syndrome testing gets Swiss go-ahead - Yahoo! News Canada: Switzerland has given the green light for a new prenatal test for Down's syndrome amid controversy over whether this will lead to more abortions. Testing will be available in the country from mid-August following a decision by Swissmedic, the national agency for therapeutic products. The test, developed by life sciences company LifeCodexx, involves screening pregnant women's blood samples for the presence of foetal Down's syndrome, which is also known as trisomy 21.

Editor: This has got to be bad in a country with legal assisted suicide.


Meanwhile: Spanish pro-life group says fetal handicap law should eliminate abortion

'via Blog this'

When The Pain Won't Go Away

Lies Young Women Believe | When The Pain Won't Go Away: It doesn't have to be physical; if you have pain that hits you day after day after day, your faith can begin to feel pretty beat up. Or ... that very same pain can be the water God uses to grow your faith into full bloom.

'via Blog this'

Paralysed dad learning to walk again after copying his baby girl

Paralysed dad learning to walk again after copying his baby girl | News | The Christian Institute: Mark Ellis, from Derbyshire, now uses a walking aid to get around and his “speech has come on a lot” in the time since he left hospital. His wife, Amy, says the pair use books and toys to learn how to do things and communicate.

'via Blog this'

Write to Me Only With Thine Eyes

Write to Me Only With Thine Eyes - ScienceNOW: People "locked in" by paralyzing disorders such as Lou Gehrig's disease have long relied on blinks or facial twitches to build sentences one letter at a time. But they soon might be able to take advantage of a simpler, faster mode of communication, new research suggests. With the help of an old optical illusion, people can train their eyes to write and draw in cursive on a computer screen as quickly as they can write with a pen. In addition to providing a new medium for self-expression, the technique challenges traditional ideas about the limits of human vision.

'via Blog this'

Death With Dignity Becomes War on the Elderly in New Mexico

Death With Dignity Becomes War on the Elderly in New Mexico | LifeNews.com: Currently, Doctors Aroop Mangalik and Katherine Morris, along with cancer patient Aja Riggs, are challenging New Mexico’s pro-life ban on assisted suicide in court. They ultimately want to prove that their loophole “aid in dying” argument—giving conscious terminally ill patients lethal medicine to die—is not assisted suicide.

'via Blog this'

Assisted Suicide Proposal: “Death Panels on Steroids”

Assisted Suicide Proposal: “Death Panels on Steroids” » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: In their NEJM article, “Redefining Physicians’ Role in Assisted  Dying,” the authors address what they see as a real problem: There aren’t enough doctors willing to participate in assisted suicide. As the authors state, “Many medical professionals are uncomfortable with the idea of physicians playing an active role in ending patient’s lives.” Furthermore, they explain that the American Medical Association and various state medical groups oppose legalization.

Oh dear, oh dear!  What to do?

“We believe there is a compelling case for legalizing assisted dying, but assisted dying need not be physician-assisted.” And how do they suggest that this hurdle between diagnosis and prescription be overcome? Simple. Take the doctor out of doctor-prescribed suicide by setting up a  government-facilitated process that will make it easier for patients to cross the River Styx.

'via Blog this'

5 tips to ask for what you need

5 tips to ask for what you need: Oftentimes, the people who could use the most help are those who tend to think they can do it all. But everyone needs a helping hand now and then—and who among us isn’t grateful to feel needed? So the next time you start to get stuck—instead of getting more overwhelmed, practice asking for help with these simple tips. The more you go for it, the easier it will get.

'via Blog this'

Protect Yourself in Summer Heat

Online Buzz: Protect Yourself in Summer Heat: Although anyone can succumb to heat-related illness, people over 65 are at higher risk, partly because they don’t sweat as efficiently and have decreased circulation. To keep seniors safe in summer heat, try following these tips.

'via Blog this'

Letting Go: The Healing Power of Grief

Letting Go: The Healing Power of Grief: Grief is the emotional process we go through when we lose a loved one. Though people who are grieving do not necessarily move precisely through set stages of grief, grieving does have some common characteristics.

'via Blog this'

Law designed to prevent drug shortages should bring peace of mind to parents of kids with cancer

Law designed to prevent drug shortages should bring peace of mind to parents of kids with cancer, Grand Rapids doctor says | MLive.com: For several years, doctors and parents caring for children with cancer have had to cope with sudden, unpredictable shortages of the drugs needed to treat the disease. Now, changes designed to provide a more consistent supply of medication are providing peace of mind for caregivers.

'via Blog this'

Mute Girl Thought to Be Mentally Retarded Finds her Voice

Mute Girl Thought to Be Mentally Retarded Finds her Voice: Carly can't speak. Many people called her dumb or mentally retarded. But after she turned 11 years old, she discovered something truly incredible and found her voice. This is a must see video.

'via Blog this'

Study: Parents of Kids With Disabilities Beating Abortion Culture

Study: Parents of Kids With Disabilities Beating Abortion Culture | LifeNews.com: A new study published this week in the highly accredited pediatric medicine journal, Pediatrics, reveals social networks are trumping the medical establishment. The study is entitled The Experience of Families with Children with Trisomy 13 and 18 in Social Networks. It shows families are proving to the medical community that their children’s lives, no matter how long, have value and are worthy of care and treatment.

From the abstract: "Parents reported being told that their child was incompatible with life (87%), would live a life of suffering (57%), would be a vegetable (50%), or would ruin their family (23%). . . . Parents who engage with parental support groups may discover an alternative positive description about children with T13-18. Disagreements about interventions may be the result of different interpretations between families and providers about the experiences of disabled children and their quality of life."

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition newsletter online

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition newsletter

'via Blog this'

'Why me, God?' Understanding Suffering

'Why me, God?' Understanding Suffering, by Donel O'Mathuna: Many of the current ethical dilemmas in medicine revolve around suffering. Those experiencing suffering, and watching others suffer, propose ways to deal with the pain. . . . Assisted suicide and euthanasia are proposed as solutions for those suffering too much. New technology is often developed to help people avoid suffering. . . . The lengths to which society goes to avoid suffering reflects an inability to deal with its very existence and to understand the redemptive role it can play in life.

'via Blog this'

Responding to Patients in the Persistent Vegetative State - an ethical and legal dilemma

Responding to Patients in the Persistent Vegetative State - an ethical and legal dilemma, by Donel O'Mathuna: There is naturally some alienation between us and those in conditions we do not experience or understand. This is very pronounced with those in PVS. But we can alienate them even more when we classify them abstractly. Even the word "vegetative" in PVS alienates them from us. God has reached across the alienation between us and him. We are similarly called to reach out to the strangers of the world, even those around whom we feel uncomfortable (2 Cor 5:16-21). As we attempt to image him truthfully, we ought to reach across the barriers to those in PVS. Our concern should be how we can act as neighbors towards these patients who are strangers to us in profound ways. In doing so, we may be surprised that they respond more like an image of God than our abstract speculation might predict.

For example, when PVS patients in one nursing home were treated more like persons, they responded accordingly. Often the simplest things made the biggest differences. In most institutions PVS patients continually lie in bed in the same room. As the director of this home stated, "We have found that adequate seating has improved awareness and arousal. . . . Our first object is to get them sitting up. It is amazing the response this produces. Body tone improves, head control appears. They look around and may focus on objects or companions."

. . . Those of us who believe that artificially administered food and fluids should be given to PVS patients may soon be called to pay for it ourselves. The pro-life movement has realized that responding to abortion must include providing shelter and resources to those who choose to keep their babies. If death is redefined to include PVS, private funding will be needed to care for these patients. This will be the price we will pay for upholding the preciousness of all human life.

Our God is in the business of protecting and nourishing broken, discarded lives which seem to have little meaning. He can use these tragedies to let his glory shine into a dark and painful world. His images should respond likewise.

'via Blog this'

'Medical Foods' and Supplements for Brain Health Advance

WSJ: As pharmaceutical companies struggle to devise new drugs to treat symptoms of dementia, a host of supplements and products called "medical foods" purporting to improve cognitive function are advancing toward the market.

Unlike drugs, medical foods and more common supplements aren't allowed to claim they help cure illnesses. Medical foods are meant to be used under a doctor's guidance to tackle a specific nutritional deficiency stemming from a disease, often in conjunction with pharmaceuticals to treat the particular ailment. They aren't regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and undergo much less stringent testing than drugs. Some manufacturers require patients to get a doctor's prescription to use medical foods, but not always.

Big food companies see opportunities in medical foods. On Thursday, Nestlé SA said it bought a stake in Accera, maker of milkshakes for Alzheimer's disease patients. And last week at the Alzheimer's Association conference in Vancouver, Canada, French food giant Group Danone SA said a study showed its investigational medical food, Souvenaid, could improve cognitive functioning.

It's expensive to support the disabled -- suicide kits are $39.95

It's expensive to support the disabled -- suicide kits are $39.95 - Winnipeg Free Press: The insidious bottom line is this -- last I looked, a take-home euthanasia kit in Oregon cost $39.95. That's a whole lot less expensive than providing someone with the supports they need to cope with the loss resulting from having a disability, and then providing them with the means to get on with the matters of daily living. It's way cheaper to let people suffer, or cut back services so life is untenable, or subtly convince people with disabilities that they have lives that aren't worth living. Imagine being inundated with the message that you have a right to end your miserable, burdensome, devalued life, because, really, it's your choice. Unfortunately, some people with disabilities are starting to drink that Kool-Aid.

'via Blog this'

Commemorating 45 Years of Quadriplegia

Commemorating 45 Years of Quadriplegia | Blog | Joni and Friends: She was only 17 when it happened. A young and vibrant Joni Eareckson Tada snapped her neck in a reckless diving accident, leaving her paralyzed. Faced with life in a wheelchair, Joni could barely hold on to hope. But today, 45 years later, Joni is living out her life serving Christ and people affected by disability. So, how did Joni go from despair and depression to leading a thriving disability ministry? Learn more about Joni’s story through the film that has captivated millions around the world—Joni.

'via Blog this'

Doubts emerge about Dutch guidelines for terminal sedation

BioEdge: Doubts emerge about Dutch guidelines for terminal sedation: Should deep, continuous sedation at the end of life really be treated as normal medical practice in the Netherlands, ask three Dutch authors in the Journal of Medical Ethics. Although they do not appear to oppose euthanasia, they argue that “morally problematic aspects inherent to palliative sedation do not get the attention they deserve” under current Guidelines for Palliative Sedation by the Royal Dutch Medical Association (KNMG).

'via Blog this'

2 neurosurgeons banned over experiments on dying patients

2 neurosurgeons banned from human research: A prominent neurosurgeon at the University of California, Davis, was banned from performing medical research on humans after he and a colleague were accused of experimenting on dying brain cancer patients without university permission. Documents show the surgeons got the consent of three terminally ill patients with malignant brain tumors to introduce bacteria into their open head wounds, under the theory that postoperative infections might prolong their lives. Two of the patients developed sepsis and died, the university later determined.

'via Blog this'

Right-to-die movement has split into two warring camps

Right-to-die movement has split into two warring camps, says Nitschke | NRL News Today: The right-to-die movement has split into two warring camps, according to Australian euthanasia activist Dr Philip Nitschke. Speaking at the annual conference of right-to-die societies in Zurich, he complained that half of the world federation’s board were critical of his attempts to create a do-it-yourself suicide technology and preferred to trudge along the slow path of legislative change. He denounced them as “as luddites in the face of scientifically-driven technological innovation.”

'via Blog this'

Medical Nightmare: Doctors won’t let wife act on behalf of ailing husband

Medical Nightmare: Doctors won’t let wife act on behalf of ailing husband | LifeSiteNews.com: An Ontario woman is crying foul after a team of doctors effectively denied her legal right to act on behalf of her husband who was hospitalized after a stroke. Marilyn met with her husband’s team of doctors who not only refused to change his drug regimen, but threatened that if she did not comply with the drug plan, she would loose her legal power of attorney over her husband.

'via Blog this'

Nitschke Doubles Down on Death-on-Demand

Nitschke Doubles Down on Death-on-Demand » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: The assisted suicide movement is so full of pretense. It is “only” about terminal illness when nothing else can be done to end suffering, they coo. Baloney. Well, it is only for the “hopelessly ill.” Baloney. Once one accept the ideology of euthanasia, the only question is how long it takes to get to the death-on-demand terminus.

'via Blog this'

A letter from Sherri - Thank you for trying to protect my life.

ALEX SCHADENBERG: A letter from Sherri - Thank you for trying to protect my life.:

"My name is Sherri, I am 32 years old and require a wheelchair. . . . I have read of more cases in both the U.S and Netherlands where innocent people have been murdered under 'assisted suicide' or euthanasia laws and it terrifies me to the core that once again there is fight to legalize this here in Canada. As a person with disabilities I struggle with the lack of accessibility and discrimination but I do love life and want nothing more than to live. A law like this is scarey and if it passes I don't think I could seek any further medical care. I have an abusive family who would love to take advantage of such a law. Thank you again for trying to protect my right to live!"

'via Blog this'

Afraid of Spiritual Darkness? Sing a Victory Song!

Afraid of Spiritual Darkness? Sing a Victory Song! | Radio | Joni and Friends: Are you afraid of the dark, like dark thoughts or dark moments? Well, consider singing a song of victory to combat the forces of the enemy. Sing today if you feel darkness.

'via Blog this'

Doctors Kill In 14% of Dutch Deaths

Doctors Kill In 14% of Dutch Deaths » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: Articles have celebrated the official 2.8% euthanasia rate. But that doesn’t include assisted suicide (0.2) and the fact that 23% of euthanasia deaths are unreported. So, that brings the official count to about 3.5%. . . . But Wesley Smith's research indicates that about 2% of terminal cases require palliative sedation, which is not killing because it is done at the very end of life and death comes from the disease, not dehydration. Using that figure, about 10% of Dutch deaths were TS slow motion euthanasia. That raises the killing count to nearly 14%.

'via Blog this'

Strasbourg hits euthanasia ball back into German courts

Strasbourg hits euthanasia ball back into German courts | News | DW.DE | 19.07.2012: The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that it's up to individual countries to decide on euthanasia.

'via Blog this'

47 hours with a prince

47 hours with a prince | LifeSiteNews.com: Hannah recounts being tired and frazzled after the birth of her son, who had been given only a short time to live. She confessed to not knowing how to handle a child that was slipping away. Her husband showed her how. He gently took his son and said, “Well, mate, you’re still here for a reason. And as long as you are still here, I am going to serve you as best I can.” He cradled him and swabbed his dry lips. Read their book, 47 Hours With a Prince.

'via Blog this'

3-part Alzheimer’s education series

Week 1 – Tuesday, August 7, 2012 2:00-4:00 PM
Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias
Scott Halstead, PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist, Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services

• Tips for getting a diagnosis
• Latest information on treatment and research developments

Week 2 – Tuesday, August 14, 2:00-4:00 PM
Legal and Financial Issues
Shawn Weera, Elder Law Attorney

• Tips for making financial and medical decisions on behalf of a person with dementia
• Planning for future care needs: understanding Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans Benefits

Week 3 – Tuesday, August 21, 2:00-4:00 PM
Strategies for Navigating the Dementia Journey
Rachel Bontje, Program Coordinator, Alzheimer’s Association

• Tips for successfully interacting with a person with dementia
• Practical solutions to the daily challenges of caring for someone with memory loss

For reservations or more information call: 616-459-4558 or 800-272-3900
At John Knox Presbyterian Church, 150 Kalamazoo Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49508
A donation of $10 per person (or family) per session appreciated.

IVF pregnancies terminated because of Down's syndrome

IVF pregnancies terminated because of Down's syndrome - Telegraph: Figures reportedly show that the genetic disorder was the most commonly given reason for terminating a pregnancy achieved [in the UK] through IVF-type treatment in 2009, the most recent year for which data is available.

Editor: This article is somewhat confusing, because it talks about babies conceived in test tubes (IVF) but tested during pregnancy. There's no mention of preimplantation genetic testing (PGD) which is routinely done with IVF to screen out abnormalities. In other words, defective embryos are discarded (I thought) so none are implanted in a woman's uterus. This story is disheartening, but an abortion prior to implantation is still an abortion. And genetic testing prior to implantation also yields "designer babies."

Related: Disabled children often victimized more

'via Blog this'

Children With Disabilities Are Victimized More Often

Children With Disabilities Are Victimized More Often - NYTimes.com: Children with disabilities are almost four times more likely to be victims of violence than other children, according to a new report commissioned by the World Health Organization.

The report, published in The Lancet on Thursday, found that disabled children were 3.6 times more likely to be physically assaulted and 2.9 times more likely to be sexually assaulted. The most common victims of sexual assault were those with mental illness or retardation, and institutionalized children were attacked more often than those living at home.

Editor: Could the reason for the abuse be an extension of the cavalier attitude society holds toward the unborn disabled baby?

'via Blog this'

The Lancet proves euthanasia deaths are rising in The Netherlands

The Lancet proves euthanasia deaths are rising in The Netherlands | LifeSiteNews.com: The media decided to ignore the significant growth in the number of euthanasia deaths since 2005, by reporting that the current percentage of euthanasia deaths in the Netherlands is similar to the percentage of euthanasia deaths in 2001, before it was officially legalized.

'via Blog this'

Dehydrate dementia patients to death to save money

Dehydrate dementia patients to death to save money: British Medical Journal editorial | LifeSiteNews.com: Raanan Gillon, emeritus professor of medical ethics and former chairman of the Institute of Medical Ethics governing body, wrote that a ruling last year by the High Court against dehydrating an incapacitated patient to death was “profoundly disturbing” because it took the life and death decision-making power out of the hands of doctors and required that the principle of the “sanctity of life” take precedence over other considerations.

'via Blog this'

Why disabilities?

Why disabilities? | HeadHeartHand Blog: There are 600 million people with disabilities in the world? Why so many? What’s God’s purpose in this?

God’s purpose? Surely a good God has nothing to do with people having disabilities?

Yet, in Exodus 4:11, God claims a role in disability: “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?”

But why? Why disability, Lord? What’s your purpose?

'via Blog this'

Free ebook: Weak and Loved

Doctor accused of ending patients' lives prematurely

Doctor accused of ending patients' lives prematurely - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): There are calls for a Queensland doctor to be stripped of his right to practise medicine and investigated over allegations he prematurely ended the lives of patients under his care. Former Queensland Medical Board investigator Jo Barber says the doctor's actions are so dangerous he could have been charged with manslaughter or murder.

'via Blog this'

Assisted Dying: Experts Debate Doctor's Role

Assisted Dying: Experts Debate Doctor's Role - ABC News: Instead of prescribing the life-ending medication, physicians should only be responsible for diagnosing patients as terminally ill, advocates say. Terminally ill patients should then be able to pick up the medication from a state-approved center, similar to medical marijuana dispensaries. But assisted dying advocates say doctors should be involved in the dying.

'via Blog this'

Oregon Assisted Suicide Not “Last Resort”

Oregon Assisted Suicide Not “Last Resort” » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: The New England Journal of Medicine has long advocated assisted suicide in its pages. It now has a piece supposedly rebutting opponents of legalizing assisted suicide in Oregon. For example, it says that assisted suicide was not carried out on people with mental illnesses. How we would know, since death doctors referred only a couple of suicidal patients for a mental health “consultation” in the last several years, the article doesn’t say. Moreover, the state statistics are a joke, since they are mostly dependent on physician self reporting.

'via Blog this'

Dutch doctors turn to ‘continuous deep sedation’ to keep official euthanasia figures low

Christian Medical Comment: The Lancet report showing that euthanasia rates have not increased in the Netherlands since legalisation in 2002 will no doubt be seized upon by enthusiasts for decriminalisation in the UK and elsewhere but the figures are not at all what they seem at first sight and the press release sent out by the journal is selective and misleading in its reporting of the facts.

If you read the press release sent by the Lancet (reproduced by Medical Xpress) it all seems cut and dried. . . . But if you read the abstract along with the full article and accompanying comment you get a very different picture altogether.

The key fact which should alert people to something odd going on is the reference to ‘continuous deep sedation’ in the Netherlands which appears in the article’s abstract but tellingly (and perhaps even disingenuously) not in the Lancet press release.

The abstract states, ‘Continuous deep sedation until death occurred more frequently in 2010 (12.3% [11.6—13.1; 789 of 6861]) than in 2005 (8.2% [7.8—8.6; 521 of 9965]).’ But what was the rate of ‘continuous deep sedation until death’ in 2001 and previously?

On examining the article we learn from table 1 that it was not measured in 1990 and 1995 and was 5.6% in 2001. In other words there has been a steady increase in this category of cases which in 2010 accounted for 16,700 deaths. Over the same period the number of deaths after ‘intensified alleviation of symptoms’ has also increased from 20.1% to 36.4% and now accounts for over 49,500 deaths annually.

Levels of Dutch euthanasia have changed little since 2002 legalization, study finds

Levels of Dutch euthanasia have changed little since 2002 legalization, study finds - The Washington Post: A summary published Wednesday on The Lancet magazine’s website said that “in 2010, of all deaths in the Netherlands, 2.8 percent were the result of euthanasia. This is higher than the 1.7 percent in 2005, but comparable with (levels seen) in 2001 and 1995.”

Analysis: Dutch doctors turn to ‘continuous deep sedation’ to keep official euthanasia figures low

'via Blog this'

End of Life Decisions 101

bioethics.com » End of Life Decisions 101: The care of patients near the end of life can be ethically challenging. Physicians and other health care professionals may find certain concepts vague and hard to understand. Furthermore, there must be a balance between two extremes: a treat-at-all-costs vitalism on the one hand, and a too-rapid withdrawal of potentially beneficial treatments on the other. The purpose of this article is to provide some conceptual clarity.

'via Blog this'

Euthanasia Versus Letting Die: Christian Decision-Making in Terminal Patients

By Dennis M. Sullivan, M.D., Cedarville University: The care of terminal patients is often difficult and ethically challenging. The standards of competent and compassionate care that characterized a previous generation seem to be wavering, replaced by a post-modern mélange of newer conflicting theories and ethical values.

'via Blog this'

Welcome to Mourning 2.0

Welcome to Mourning 2.0: Technological advances have dramatically altered how we grieve for and memorialize the dead. In this new era, the bereaved readily share their sorrow via Facebook comments. They light virtual candles on memorial websites, upload video tributes to YouTube and express sadness through online funeral home guest books. Mourners affix adhesive-backed barcodes or "QR code" chips to tombstones so visitors can pull up photos and videos with a scan of a smartphone.

'via Blog this'

Hospitals 'letting patients die to save money’

Hospitals 'letting patients die to save money’ - Telegraph: Tens of thousands of patients with terminal illnesses are placed on a “death pathway” to help end their lives every year. However, in a letter to The Daily Telegraph, six doctors warn that hospitals may be using the controversial scheme to reduce strain on hospital resources. Supporters of the Liverpool Care Pathway, which allows medical staff to withhold fluid and drugs in a patient’s final days, claim it is the kindest way of letting them slip away. But the experts say in their letter that natural deaths are often freer of pain and distress.

'via Blog this'

Minority patients less interested in hospice care

Minority patients less interested in hospice care - amednews.com: Nonwhite patients were 20% less likely to enter hospice care. The disparities in end-of-life care did not end there. Among patients who opted for hospice, minorities were likelier to visit the emergency department and stay in the intensive care unit. Nonwhites also were about 40% likelier to disenroll — or leave — hospice, the study said. A common reason why patients disenroll is that they want more aggressive treatment.

'via Blog this'

Songs may hold key for injured brains

Songs may hold key for injured brains: Music can help patients with severe traumatic brain injury unlock memories from their past, a new study has shown.

Related:
First Steps for TBI and Stroke Patients
Bringing Andrea back from brain injury: a father's story

'via Blog this'

Physician's Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment: Helpful or a New Threat?

Physician's Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment: Helpful or a New Threat? | Daily News | NCRegister.com: Some ethicists see stronger danger at end of life with new form that patients can sign. 'A living will on steroids.'

'via Blog this'

Should We Kill Alzheimer’s Patients?

Should We Kill Alzheimer’s Patients? » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: A very disturbing article in New York Magazine by Michael Wolff.  It tells the difficult story of his mother’s dementia, a course of physical and mental decline about which I am very familiar as my uncle died from the complications of that Alzheimer’s disease. But Wolff says that such patients have lost dignity, and indeed, he more than implies the proper approach to dealing with dementia is to kill them sooner rather than bear the emotional and financial expense of caring for them over the long term.

'via Blog this'

Be aware: Coordinated bid to change end-of-life laws

Be aware: Coordinated bid to change end-of-life laws | News | The Christian Institute: Dr Peter Saunders, one of Britain’s leading opponents of euthanasia and assisted suicide, says a synchronized assault has been launched on the courts, the media, the medical profession and Parliament.

'via Blog this'

Patient dying of thirst rang police

Daily Mail: Nurses forgot to give Kane Gorny his medication and he became so delirious he called 999. His mother said she spent hours trying to convince staff he needed attention but was told he was all right. Alarm finally raised an hour before his death when a doctor realised how serious his condition was

34 Lessons Learned From Thinking My Son Had Leukemia

34 Lessons Learned From Thinking My Son Had Leukemia | LifeNews.com: "It turns out Noah is fine, and cancer free. I could go on and on about how scared we were today, how my wife and I both cried, and how fearful we were, but to be honest I’m physically and mentally exhausted after today. I wanted to share just a few things I learned today, in no particular order."

'via Blog this'

When you're dead, you're dead; when you're 'brain dead,' you're alive

When you're dead, you're dead; when you're 'brain dead,' you're alive | ALL.org: The medical doctors who believe that “brain death” is equivalent to death are basically saying that “brain-dead” patients are the same as dead patients. Yet, there are significant differences between a “brain-dead” patient and a truly dead patient.

'via Blog this'

Perfect Gifts for Hospital Visits

Perfect Gifts for Hospital Visits - CarePages.com: These ideas will help you choose gifts for a friend or family member who's in the hospital or recovering that will brighten their spirits and help ease their recovery.

'via Blog this'

Prenatal genetic screening "may be inaccurate"

Prenatal genetic screening "may be inaccurate": American experts have developed a blood test which they say could be used to screen foetuses routinely for over 3,000 conditions like muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis. However, the researchers acknowledged the ability to predict the genetic code of a foetus at 18 weeks could lead to "many ethical questions" because it might lead to more abortions.

Some British experts have warned that the test -- still many years from clinical use -- may be more of a harm than a help because in many cases it would be difficult to predict how a mutation might affect children and how acute their disability might be. Others argued that any information parents can obtain to help them prepare for possible eventualities once the child is born should not be withheld.

'via Blog this'

Denmark quietly debates euthanasia

BioEdge: Denmark quietly debates euthanasia: The Danish Parliament’s advisory panel on ethics seems to be slowing warming to the idea, according to an article in the Copenhagen Post. In 1997 and in 2003 the panel dismissed the idea. However, at its May meeting this year, there was a heated debate.

'via Blog this'

Parents would have aborted daughter with cystic fibrosis: judge gives green light to sue

Parents who would have aborted daughter with cystic fibrosis sue: judge gives green light | LifeSiteNews.com: A girl born with cystic fibrosis is at the center of a lawsuit filed by her Montana parents, who claim they would have aborted their girl had they known of her chances of having the disability. Judge Mike Salvagni ruled that the parents, Kerrie and Joe Evans, are free to move forward with their lawsuit.

'via Blog this'

Woman appeals for daughter’s mercy killing

The Hindu : States / Tamil Nadu : Woman appeals for daughter’s mercy killing: The grievances redress meeting held every Monday at the District Collectorate saw an unusual petition being submitted. Among many requests for protection of lives and livelihood, this one appealed for ending a 14-year-old girl’s life. And the appeal came from none other than the girl’s mother.

'via Blog this'

Things Christians say [but shouldn't] to the sick

Things Christians say [but shouldn't] to the sick. « Strengthened by Grace: People mean well, but in some cases what they say to sick people is "worthless, hurtful, or simply outright wrongheaded."

'via Blog this'

Latest from Caring Right at Home

• Seniors and Celiac Disease
• Loneliness Is a Health Risk for Older Adults
• Three New Insights About Alzheimer's Disease
• Online Buzz: Technology to Keep Seniors Safe at Home

Assisted Suicide, Euthanasia Fail to Grasp The Value of People

Assisted Suicide, Euthanasia Fail to Grasp The Value of People | LifeNews.com: Some of the great civil rights battles of our day are being waged in Massachusetts, Vermont, Hawaii, and Montana this year. If you do not recognize those states as civil rights battlegrounds, you are not alone. While advocates for assisted suicide have targeted those states with legalization campaigns, residents may not fully appreciate what is at stake.

'via Blog this'

Man scaled Kilimanjaro by crawling on his HANDS for seven days

It's a feat most able-bodied people would struggle to achieve - scaling one of the highest peaks on the planet. Spencer West managed it using just his hands. Daily Mail

Euthanasia: The European Court Must Rule on Two New Cases

Euthanasia: The European Court Must Rule on Two New Cases : Turtle Bay and Beyond – International Law, Policy, and Institutions: In the coming months, the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights will once again have to rule on the issues of euthanasia and assisted suicide. Two cases, currently pending, will soon be decided by the European Court of Human Rights (Koch v. Germany and Alda Gross v. Switzerland). Additionally, the Steering Committee on Bioethics of the Council of Europe is currently writing a guide for the decision making process regarding medical treatment in end of life situations, which will include instructions related to the cessation of acute care and the transition to palliative care and palliative sedation with cessation of hydration and nutrition.

'via Blog this'

‘Right to die’?

‘Right to die’?: These incredible people found meaning in their lives, despite severe disabilities | LifeSiteNews.com: These incredible people found meaning in their lives, despite severe disabilities.

'via Blog this'

Swiss vote brings death-peddlers into nursing homes

Swiss vote brings death-peddlers into nursing homes | LifeSiteNews.com: Citizens of the Swiss canton Vaud voted last Sunday in a referendum to bring the business of death into nursing homes and hospitals. When the new law goes into effect, doctors will be forced to comply with the demands of eligible people who request assisted suicide or face legal consequences.

'via Blog this'

My aunt’s killer should not be an excuse to kill

My aunt’s killer should not be an excuse to kill | LifeSiteNews.com: "ALS is a ghastly disease. My aunt quickly lost her independence, and became reliant on others for the basics that we take for granted. She soon lost her ability to speak, and near the end of her life it was almost impossible for her to communicate. Through it all, her husband and the medical team continued to lavish their love and care on her to alleviate her pain and suffering as much as possible until she died. She was an individual with dignity, and was treated with dignity, despite all the indignities the disease subjected her to."

'via Blog this'

Phony “Death Panel” Definition Won’t Make the Issue Go Away

Phony “Death Panel” Definition Won’t Make the Issue Go Away » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: The Medical Establishment continues to try and misdirect the conversation on the pending threat of “death panels” under Obamacare. They pretend it is about “end of life discussions.” . . . “Death panels” really refer to the threat of health care rationing and centralized cost/benefit bureaucracies deciding that efficacious treatments will not be covered based on quality of life invidious discrimination–as occurs already in the UK, Canada, and Oregon’s Medicaid rationing law.

'via Blog this'

Elderly patients 'helped to die to free up beds', warns doctor

Elderly patients 'helped to die to free up beds', warns doctor - Telegraph: Professor Patrick Pullicino has claimed that doctors are using a care pathway designed to help make people's final days more comfortable as an equivalent to euthanasia. The Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) is used in hospitals for patients who are terminally ill or are expected to die imminently. Under the pathway, doctors can withdraw treatment, food and water while patients are heavily sedated. Almost a third of patients - 130,000 - who die in hospital or under NHS care a year are on the LCP.

Christian Medical Comment: Is the NHS really killing 130,000 patients a year with the Liverpool Care Pathway?

'via Blog this'

Ailing right-to-die champion fights to live

Sun News : Ailing right-to-die champion fights to live: After winning the right to die on her own terms, an emotional Gloria Taylor is now waging a battle to live. The West Kelowna resident, who suffers from Lou Gehrig's disease, is "living one day at a time" and hasn't made the decision on whether she will use the new law that allows her to have a doctor assist her in dying. "I am still here for living and I hope for a long time. When it is time it is God's will, not mine."

'via Blog this'

Most people with locked-in syndrome do not wish to die

Most people with locked-in syndrome do not wish to die | NRL News Today: The overwhelming majority of people with severe disability–even with ‘locked-in syndrome’–do not wish to die but rather want support to live and the longer people have locked-in syndrome then generally the better they learn to cope with it and find meaning, purpose and contentment within the confines of the condition.

'via Blog this'

Switzerland Welcomes Dr. Suicide Into Nursing Homes

Switzerland Welcomes Dr. Suicide Into Nursing Homes » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: Switzerland, which already permits suicide purveyors to make a lot of money out of suicide tourism, is now bringing self termination into nursing homes and hospitals.

'via Blog this'

Landmark assisted suicide case raises ‘arguable grounds for appeal'

Landmark assisted suicide case raises ‘arguable grounds for appeal’ - The Globe and Mail: Gloria Taylor is the only person in Canada who can legally seek physician-assisted suicide, but a lawyer who was involved in the landmark court case says he expects other terminally ill people to apply for the same exemption.

'via Blog this'

Single Payer = Long Waits for Care

Single Payer = Long Waits for Care » Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: "We are often told that Canada’s single payer health system is the ideal for the USA. I once believed it. No longer. Canada rations care, occasionally by refusing coverage but mostly by loooo–ooo–ooong waits for needed tests and care. True, the country is trying to improve, but centralized control makes that tough. And now, the latest report card is in and it isn’t good."

'via Blog this'

Loneliness in Older Persons: A Predictor of Functional Decline and Death

JAMA Network | Archives of Internal Medicine | Loneliness in Older PersonsA Predictor of Functional Decline and DeathLoneliness in Older Persons: Among participants who were older than 60 years, loneliness was a predictor of functional decline and death.

'via Blog this'

Tim's Place restaurant takes unique approach thanks to special owner

Tim's Place restaurant takes unique approach thanks to special owner - CBS News: When Keith Harris' son Tim was born, a half-hearted smile was all he could muster. "Our pediatrician asked me if I knew what down syndrome was, and the world turned black at that moment," he told CBS News.

What a difference 26 years makes. Today, in sunny Albuquerque, you'd be hard pressed to find a more glowing father than Keith. Or a more shining example of what truly great parenting can accomplish.

Keith and wife Jeannie, who also have three typical boys, have raised them all with the same high-expectations. As a result, they're all successful. But, none are more successful than Tim, who not only lives on his own but owns his own restaurant. "He works for me," Tim said, pointing at his brother.

'via Blog this'