Word: case
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Dates: during 1990-1990
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...therapy failed -- her memory continued to fade and her beloved flute playing became impossible -- she vowed to go through with her decision. Her husband Ronald, an investment broker, flew to Detroit with her, all the while hoping she would change her mind at the last minute. Just in case, he bought her a round-trip plane ticket...
...from being abused. Most require that patients make a witnessed, legal request in writing, with two independent doctors confirming that the patient's condition is unbearable and irreversible. Says Susan M. Wolf of the Hastings Center: "Even the staunchest proponents of physician-assisted suicide should be horrified at this case because there were no procedural protections...
Doctors reflecting on the case note that Alzheimer's is difficult to diagnose. One symptom is sufficient mental deterioration to impair the ability to make decisions. "He has to claim she made her decision competently," observes Dr. Joanne Lynn, professor at George Washington University. "But the diagnosis of Alzheimer's is almost incompatible with that claim...
Even if the case were more clear-cut, much of the medical community would still reject Kevorkian's solution, fearing the damage that would be done if doctors routinely acted as executioners. "The doctor-patient relationship is based on mutual trust," notes Dr. Nancy Dickey, a trustee of the American Medical Association. "Our patients should not be concerned that we are going to make a value judgment that their lives are no longer worth living...
Kevorkian's fate rests with Michigan prosecutors, who must review state laws about assisted suicide. Seven years ago, the state's high court threw out a case against a man who gave a loaded gun to a friend who later shot himself. While suicide is not unlawful in many states, aiding and abetting suicide is. As yet no charges have been filed, but a Michigan judge has issued a temporary restraining order barring Kevorkian from assisting other suicides. The doctor admits to only one regret. Had the medical examiners come more quickly, Adkins' organs might have been harvested for transplant...