Assisted Suicide Increases Other Suicides 10/07/2015 *October 7, 2015 (Wesley J. Smith)* – I have long suspected that pushing suicide in some situations, would increase suicides in others. For example, Oregon has the second highest suicide rate in the country-and that doesn’t include its assisted suicides.
Assisted Suicide Comes to California 10/05/2015 (NRO) – I am mourning the betrayal by Governor Jerry Brown of all that is decent and right in medical ethics and healthcare policy. For those interested, I posted my initial reaction over at The Corner.
Paralyzed Man Walks Again, Using Only His Mind 10/04/2015 (Newsweek) – It’s a technology that sounds lifted from the latest Marvel movie-a brain-computer interface functional electrical stimulation (BCI-FES) system that enables paralyzed users to walk again.
Eagle Firefighter Recovering From Traumatic Head Injury 10/02/2015 (KTVB.COM) – An Eagle firefighter is struggling to overcome a traumatic brain injury from a car accident. It happened in late August in Owyhee County. Now, the fire department, friends, and family are trying to raise support for his recovery.
September
Doctor Sued for Saying No to Euthanasia 9/30/2015 (NRO) – I have been warning (with increasing intensity) about a pending medical martyrdom-forcing doctors to choose between killing and continuing in their profession-both from the contexts of statutory law and professional discipline.
Pope Stops, Turns Around to Bless Disabled Boy 9/28/2015 (Philly.com) – Chuck Keating had a job to do Saturday morning — leading the Bishop Shanahan High School Band as they greeted Pope Francis on the tarmac at Philadelphia International Airport. When the music stopped, however, he had another goal: To get Pope Francis to bless his 10-year-old son Michael, who has cerebral palsy. He got his wish.
Quebec Health Minister Threatens to Crush Doctors’ Dissent on Euthanasia 9/24/2015 *September 24, 2015 (LifeSiteNews)* – Quebec’s health minister, Gaetan Barrette, has threatened to discipline doctors at the University of Montreal Health Centre for refusing to provide assisted suicide when it becomes legal on December 10, while euthanasia advocates urge him to defund the province’s 29 hospices, who have also said they will not help their patients die.
Study Links Energy Drinks and Traumatic Brain Injury in Teens 9/23/2015 (TIME) – In a new study, researchers found that teens who reported having a traumatic brain injury in the past year were seven times more likely to report drinking at least five energy drinks in the last week, compared to teens who did not have a traumatic brain injury, or TBI.
Irish Activists to Oppose British Euthanasia Law 9/22/2015 (The Irish Catholic) – Irish anti-euthanasia campaigners will be joining with disability rights organisations in a protest outside Britain’s Houses of Parliament to coincide with a parliamentary debate on assisted suicide.
Former Iowa DB Leads Hawkeyes Into Battle 9/21/2015 (wcfcourier.com) – One courageous step after another, Brett Greenwood led the Iowa football team into battle Saturday night.
Atlantic City Man on Long Road to Recovery from TBI 9/17/2015 (AtlanticCity.com) – Patrick Sheeran Jr., of Atlantic City, is one of the millions of people in the United States who have suffered traumatic brain injuries – the Centers for Disease Control puts the number at 1.7 million people each year.
Belgian Mother Euthanized for Grief 9/16/2015 (NRO) – The Belgian euthanasia juggernaut continues to cut a terrible swath. Now, a woman was euthanized shortly after she learned her daughter was dead. From the News.Com.Au story:
Euthanasia’s Slippery Slope Going Mental 9/15/2015 (Culture of Life) – Last month in these pages, we addressed the potential risk present when doctors begin to discuss with their patients options for ending life, especially as it impacts the covenantal relationship between the two parties.
Mother Awakens from Coma after Hearing Her Newborn 9/14/2015 (MyFox8.com) -A North Carolina mother who went into a coma after childbirth woke up after hearing her baby cry. People Magazine reported that 23-year-old Concord mother Shelly Cawley was not waking up after having an emergency C-section.
Our Utilitarian Medical Elite: Bioethics and Planned Parenthood 9/11/2015 (Weekly Standard) – Jeffrey Drazen, the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, recently penned a scathing editorial about Planned Parenthood’s harvesting of fetal tissues.
California Assembly Passes Bill Legalizing Assisted Suicide 9/10/2015 (LifeNews.com) – The California state Assembly has approved a bill that would legalize assisted suicide with virtually no limits. The bill now has to move the bill through the Senate by Friday and after that can go to Governor Brown. The legislation passed by a vote of 42-33.
Fibbing for God? No, Lying for Death 9/09/2015 (NRO) – The medical intelligentsia is increasingly supporting euthanasia-as doctors who actually work with the dying-remain strongly opposed. Richard Horton, the editor of The Lancet is the latest example.
Will Progressives Require Doctors to Kill? 9/07/2015 (First Things) – Secularist threats against religious liberty are spreading like a stain. Thus, I was attracted immediately to Bruce Abramson’s Mosaic column, How Jews Can Help Christians Live as a Creative Minority.
On Road to Recovery, TV Personality Shares Warning to Others 9/04/2015 (Yahoo!7 News) – It’s been eight months since Glenn Wheeler was hit by a car while on his scooter as he was traveling home. He suffered serious head injuries and severed an artery in one leg as a result.
Emotional Return Home for Ryan Smith 9/03/2015 (Skegness Standard) – There was an emotional homecoming for Ryan Smith. Seventeen-year-old Ryan suffered severe brain injuries and was left in a coma following a collision with a van last July. His family was told to prepare for the worst.
Quebec Doctors to Get Euthanasia Kits as Province Prepares to Legalize Doctor Assisted Killing 9/02/2015 (National Post) – Quebec doctors will soon be given standardized kits with which to end the lives of patients seeking euthanasia – including drugs to calm the nerves and stop the breathing – along with detailed instructions as the province prepares to usher in legalized aid in dying.
August
Wesley J. Smith: George Will’s Cultural Death Wish 8/31/2015 (The Corner) – What a disappointing and shallow column from George Will endorsing assisted suicide, based primarily on a bald assertion that autonomous decision making is “death with dignity.” (If committing assisted suicide is “death with dignity,” then are those who die naturally undignified?)
Most Doctors Reluctant to Help End Life 8/30/2015 (The StarPhoenix) – Most Canadian doctors appear reluctant to help end a life, despite the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling Canadians have a constitutional right to physician assisted death, according to a poll released Tuesday.
Wounded Officer Continues Surprising Recovery 8/28/2015 (Press Enterprise) – Gabe Garcia, the San Bernardino police officer gravely wounded in a gun battle in August 2014, and Bryan Stow, the San Francisco Giants fan who suffered a brain injury when beaten at Dodger Stadium on Opening Day in 2011, met for lunch about two weeks ago along with their families.
The Coming Medical Authoritarianism 8/26/2015 (NRO) – Canada’s medical establishment intends to force all doctors to kill patients legally qualified for euthanasia-a radically broad category-or find a doctor who will. If doctors refuse, they will be punished. I call this authoritarian threat, “medical martyrdom.”
Help Us End The Apathy Campaign! 8/25/2015 (Life & Hope Network) – In light of the recent Planned Parenthood scandal, bioethicist Wesley J. Smith wrote an article questioning our nation’s “moral sensibilities”.
Final Exit Network Fined $30,000 for Assisting Woman’s Suicide 8/25/2015 (Star-Tribune) – A national right-to-die group plans to keep operating in Minnesota despite a felony conviction and a judge’s order to pay nearly $33,000 for assisting an Apple Valley woman’s suicide.
Media Support for Forcing Doctors to Kill 8/24/2015 (NRO) – So, you’re a doctor. You go into the profession to heal and alleviate suffering. You believe in the sanctity of human life, either due to religion or philosophy.
A Doctor-Assisted Disaster 8/21/2015 (WSJ) – Since the voters of Oregon narrowly legalized physician-assisted suicide 20 years ago, there has been a profound shift in attitude toward medical care-new fear and secrecy, and a fixation on death.
An Inspiring Pact: ‘He Used to be in a Coma, I Used to be a Fat Guy’ 8/20/2015 (Today) – Rick Delashmit made a deal with his 12-year-old son, who has battled a brain injury for most of his life. His son works on standing, and Delashmit works on getting fit. His son, Reece, now can stand for up to 90 minutes – and Delashmit has lost nearly 70 pounds.
Relentless: New Assisted Suicide Push in CA 8/19/2015 (NRO) – More corrupt legislating from the pro-death side. As usual. Having lost fair and square in a California Assembly Committee, the suicide pushers have filed a new legalization bill-AB 15-for a special session intended to grapple with health care costs.
Life in Danger: Aden Hailu Appeal to NV Supreme Court 8/17/2015 (Renew America) – Aden Hailu had pain in her abdomen on April 1, 2015. Exploratory laparoscopic surgery was done. Every organ in Aden’s abdomen was normal. Her appendix was removed, as is commonly done at times of exploratory surgery when the cause of the pain is not identified.
Gymnast Walks Out of Hospital 7 Months After 23-Foot Fall 8/14/2015 (KETV.com) – A college gymnast’s life changed when she fell 23 feet to the mat seven months ago. Heather Boulais suffered a serious brain injury after Union College said some equipment malfunctioned. She walked out of the hospital Thursday, defying the odds.
Archbishop Charles Chaput: There is No Equivalence 8/13/2015 (CatholicPhilly.com) – Here’s a simple exercise in basic reasoning. On a spectrum of bad things to do, theft is bad, assault is worse and murder is worst. There’s a similar texture of ill will connecting all three crimes, but only a very confused conscience would equate thieving and homicide.
Tech Student with Brain Injury Making Great Strides in Recovery 8/12/2015 (WSBTV.com) – A Georgia Tech student severely brain injured during a freak accident at his fraternity is making huge strides. Clark Jacobs, 20, was minimally conscious for several months following an accident at his fraternity.
Growing Number of Mentally Ill Choosing to be Killed at Euthanasia Clinic 8/10/2015 (LifeSiteNews) – A growing number of Dutch patients whom their family doctor is not willing to euthanize, including many who are mentally ill but otherwise healthy, are obtaining “help” at the End-of-Life Clinic that opened its doors in 2012, according to half-year statistics just released by the private organization based in The Hague, Netherlands.
An Emotional Return to the Children’s Trust Rehabilitation Center 8/07/2015 (Skegness Standard) – Two years after the cycling accident that almost ended his life, Ryan Smith has made an emotional visit to the rehabilitation centre that aided his remarkable recovery.
Judges to Rubber-Stamp Assisted Suicide 8/06/2015 (The Christian Institute) – Plans to give courts just two weeks to decide if a person can be helped to commit suicide could lead to judges ‘rubber stamping’ applications without considering the details of each case, MPs have warned.
New Blood Test May Detect Traumatic Brain Injury 8/05/2015 (psychcentral.com) – A new quick blood test may be able to diagnose traumatic brain injury (TBI) and even determine its severity, according to a new study published in the Journal of Neurotrauma. The test could help determine the best type of treatment for each TBI patient.
Jahi Mcmath’s ‘Tell-Tale Heart’ Could Change Medicine 8/03/2015 (The San Francisco Chronicle) – “The Tell-Tale Heart” is a chilling 1843 short story by Edgar Allan Poe about a man whose disturbed conscience is haunted by the sound of a heart that will not stop beating.
July
Wesley J. Smith: Barbarism in Our Time 7/31/2015 (The Weekly Standard) – The country has been roiled in recent weeks by videos showing two Planned Parenthood executives chirpily telling pro-life undercover investigators that fetal organs could be had for a price. The executives-both themselves abortionists-explained that their techniques could be adapted to “crush” fetuses in a “less crunchy” manner so as to better insure harvests suitable for research.
A Gift I Never Expected or Deserved 7/30/2015 (By E. Wesley Ely) – The first time I saw Jessa, she lay crumpled in the ICU bed, paralyzed, expressionless and unable to speak. A military veteran, she had fought in Desert Storm, but she now was facing a deadlier and more inexorable foe: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), aka Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Jahi McMath Lawsuit Percolates Under the Surface 7/28/2015 (NRO) – The law professor and bioethicist, Thaddeus Mason Pope, and I disagree about most issues. But I have to say, he sure keeps up on legal affairs of mutual concern.
Wesley J. Smith: More Than “In God’s Image” 7/26/2015 (First Things) – We live in an increasingly secular society. One consequence (among many) of this cultural shift has been an increasing rejection of the once uncontroversial belief that humans reside uniquely at the pinnacle of moral worth.
French Doctors Refuse to Rule on Fate of Brain-Damaged Man 7/24/2015 (The Guardian) – The tortuous legal battle over the life or death of a severely brain-damaged man in France took a surprising turn on Thursday as doctors refrained from taking a decision on his fate, citing security fears.
European Court Set to Rule in French Euthanasia Case 7/23/2015 (National Catholic Register) – Bishop Thierry Scherrer of Laval, France, and the bioethics committee of his diocese are pleading with doctors at a hospital in Reims not to end the life of a young quadriplegic man. “Human life is a gift from God, and doctors are at its service.
Dr. Death, Philip Nitschke, to Perform ‘A Peaceful Means of Death’ 7/22/2015 (The Independent) – Audience members at the Edinburgh Fringe show hosted by the controversial medic known as Dr Death will be ‘gassed’ as they model how “a peaceful and reliable means of death” is carried out.
Argentina’s Supreme Court Authorizes Euthanasia by Starvation 7/20/2015 (LifeSiteNews) – Argentina’s Supreme Court of Justice has recently passed a ruling that allowed for a man, Marcelo Diez, who had been in a comatose state for the past 21 years due to a traffic accident, to be denied nourishment and left to die from starvation and dehydration.
Lauren Hill Should Have Received the ESPY Arthur Ashe Award, Not Caitlyn Jenner 7/20/2015 (LifeNews.com) – Last week, Caitlyn Jenner received the ESPY Arthur Ashe Award for Courage (an award presented by ESPN). Many including myself believe Lauren Hill, a freshman basketball player at Mount St. Joseph University who bravely fought brain cancer and passed away in April, should have been the recipient of the award.
Ethical Stem Cells Grow Tiny Human Hearts 7/17/2015 (NRO) – Remember when THE SCIENTISTS! insisted that embryonic stem cells and human cloning were the ONLY HOPE to create a vibrant regenerative medical sector? People bought the mendacity, and as one consequence, California is now stuck with the borrow-and-spend-billions boondoggle known as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
Why Recovery Times Vary Widely after Brain Injury 7/16/2015 (newswise.com) – Why do some youngsters bounce back quickly from a traumatic brain injury, while others suffer devastating side effects for years? New UCLA/USC research suggests that damage to the fatty sheaths around the brain’s nerve fibers–not injury severity– may explain the difference.
Dead for Six Seconds, Jockey Making Comeback 7/14/2015 (beinsports.com) – Dead for six seconds in 2013 – Brian Toomey made a remarkable return to racing at Southwell on Sunday. Jockey Brian Toomey returned to racing on Sunday following a remarkable recovery from an injury that left him dead for six seconds in 2013.
The Dilution of Human Dignity 7/12/2015 (NRO) – The term “human dignity”-properly understood-embodies the objective principle of equal and intrinsic moral worth of every human being. These days, it is too often conflated with subjective notions of behavior, aesthetics, and now in the same sex marriage case, a newly coined constitutional right to self-identity.
Netherlanders Pressured into Euthanasia 7/08/2015 (NRO) – Netherlanders are pressured into “choosing” euthanasia, reads the story. I’m not surprised. This has been true for many years.
California Aid-In-Dying Bill Shelved for the Year 7/07/2015 (LA Times) – Lacking the votes to pass a key committee, a bill that would allow physicians to prescribe lethal doses of drugs to terminally ill patients in California was shelved Tuesday, likely until next year.
70% Believe News Media Intentionally Biased 7/06/2015 (WND.com) – Nearly three quarters of Americans believe the news media reports with an intentional bias, according to a new survey. The 2015 State of the First Amendment Survey, conducted by the First Amendment Center and USA Today, was released Friday.
Colombian Man Ends Life with Government Backup 7/05/2015 (St. Pete Times) – Dr. Gustavo Quintana walks out of a modest, two-floor apartment building in southern Bogota. Inside his black doctor’s bag are vials containing anesthesia and muscle relaxants, a syringe and a rubber tourniquet.
Nebraska Engineers Achieve Breakthrough in Brain Trauma Research 7/02/2015 (Big Ten Network) – Even though the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan haven’t definitively ended, the aftereffects are already being felt as thousands of soldiers return home with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) caused by improvised explosive devices, or IEDs.
June
The Economist Pushes Death on Demand 6/30/2015 (NRO) – The media no longer present objective reporting on issues of social or cultural controversy. They choose sides. This has been generally true for about ten years about assisted suicide, and ever since the Brittany Maynard manufactured media frenzy, the bias has really ramped up.
Brain Injury Opens Creative Life for Author 6/29/2015 (Daily Herald) – At 20 years old, Peter Kargenian was in college studying computer science, a field grounded in logic and mathematics. But in the instant of a vehicle wreck that left him in a coma suffering from traumatic brain injury, the skills that made the Prospect Heights resident a promising tech whiz were forever changed.
Euthanasia’s Open Season on the Mentally Ill 6/26/2015 (First Things) – A few years ago, I spoke about end-of-life care at a town-hall event; it quickly devolved into an intense debate on assisted suicide. When the time came for audience questions, a self-described “mentally ill” woman took the microphone and declared that she had a right to doctor-prescribed death.
Parents Tired, Want to Euthanize Their Six Disabled 6/25/2015 (LifeNews.com) – A desperate couple in India believe they are faced with an impossible predicament: watch their children (pictured above) suffer from a rare neurological condition for years until the disease kills them or end their children’s suffering through euthanasia.
Life & Hope Network Welcomes New Board Members 6/25/2015 PHILADELPHIA, June 25, 2015 – The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, an organization established by the family of Terri Schiavo to advocate for the medically vulnerable, is very pleased to welcome the following new members to its Board of Directors: Ms. Dana Cody, Brother Conrad Richardson, and Dr. Richard Bonfiglio.
France Opens Euthanasia Debate in Ruling Similar to Schiavo Case 6/24/2015 (By Joni Hannigan/Christian Examiner) – The top administrative court in France ruled June 23 that 39-year-old Vincent Lambert, a tetraplegic man, could be removed from life support – a feeding tube and hydration – seven years after an accident incapacitated him, causing a bitter feud between family members and fueling a debate over active euthanasia, known otherwise as “mercy killing.”
Peter Singer: Save 200 Pigs Over One Human Baby 6/23/2015 June 23, 2015 (NRO) – Peter Singer is something of a house ethicist for the New York Times and especially beloved of the weak liberal thinker, Nicolas Kristof.
Princeton Should Treat Peter Singer Like a Racist 6/22/2015 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In recent days, we have seen college professors forced out of their positions over relatively minor infractions of politically correct dogma.
ACLU Still Trashes Efforts to Save Terri Schiavo 6/19/2015 (LifeNews.com) – Now that former Governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, has officially announced his candidacy for president, many of the same people and groups who maligned him for trying to protect my sister, Terri Schiavo, from being starved and dehydrated to death, are once again doing the same.
France Debates Slow Motion Euthanasia 6/18/2015 (NRO) – Sigh. If the euthanasia pushers can’t get people dead one way, they try another. The French Senate is debating legalizing terminal sedation for the terminally ill who want it. From the Yahoo story:
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Terri Schiavo’s Family Reacts to France’s “Terri Schiavo” Case 6/16/2015 PHILADELPHIA, June 16, 2015 – The family of Terri Schiavo is reacting to a court ruling that allows Vincent Lambert, the man known as the “Terri Schiavo of France” to be starved and dehydrated to death. “With so many questions in this case, why would you err on the side of death?
Teen Still Improving Despite Severe Brain Injury, Nearly Drowning 6/15/2015 (Daily Journal) – Her blue-green eyes still sparkle, and she lets people know when she is happy, uncomfortable or tired. One year after suffering a severe brain injury when she nearly drowned, Sarah McLevish is making improvements.
Unasked for Euthanasia in Belgium 6/11/2015 (NRO) – The bottom line of euthanasia consciousness is that killing is splendid way to end human suffering. Advocates say it is also about “choice.”
Colombia Imposes Euthanasia Medical Martyrdom 6/09/2015 (NRO) – Doctors are increasingly under threat of being forced to kill or get out of medicine. I call this “medical martyrdom,” that is, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, etc. forced to choose between engaging (or being complicit) in life-terminating acts such as euthanasia or abortion and losing their careers.
Court Rules Patient Can be Starved to Death 6/05/2015 (FOX News) -The European Court of Human Rights on Friday allowed France to take a man in a coma off life support, in a case that has torn a family apart and could influence the extent to which euthanasia is endorsed by law across the continent.
Brain Injury Survivors Are Storytelling Their Way to Recovery 6/04/2015 (theguardian.com) – Advances in medicine mean that the number of people surviving brain injuries is increasing. In many ways brain injury is a silent epidemic; its effects are not always visible and cannot be communicated easily.
The Reason for Euthanasia Word Engineering 6/03/2015 (NRO) – The euthanasia movement is about killing-which simply means to intentionally end life-as a response to human suffering.
Comedian’s Brain Injury: Recovery Can Take Years, Experts Say 6/02/2015 (NBC News) – Almost a year after the horrific traffic accident that wounded his body and injured his brain, Tracy Morgan says he is on the mend, although he still walks with a cane and has headaches and memory problems. “I have my good days and my bad days when I forget things,” he told Today’s Matt Lauer.
CMN Miracle Kid: Kennedy Reeves 6/01/2015 (kcbd.com) – Since the morning Kennedy Reeves was injured, December 17, 2014, KCBD has tracked her progress in rehab. From starting out in Critical Condition to being upgraded steadily and working every day with the hopes of returning to a normal life.
May
Italian Boy Survives Being Trapped Underwater For 42 Minutes 5/29/2015 (The Independent) – An Italian boy who fell into a canal in Milan has survived despite being held underwater for as long as 42 minutes. The 14-year-old, who is said to have jumped off a bridge in Cuggiono with five friends into water which was just 6.5-feet deep, was in hospital for a month, Time reported.
Scottish Parliament Rejects Assisted Suicide 5/28/2015 (NRO) – We keep hearing how assisted suicide can’t be stopped, but it almost always is defeated. And now in so not conservative Scotland. From The Guardian story: MSPs voted by 82 to 36 against the general principles of the assisted suicide (Scotland) bill.
Father Pleads Not Guilty of Trying to Kill Daughter with Drain Cleaner 5/27/2015 (gazettenet.com) – A city man accused of trying to kill his 7-year-old daughter by poisoning her with Liquid-Plumr allegedly told police Wednesday that he wanted to end her pain because she has a serious illness.
Pro Skier Fighting Back From Serious Brain Injury 5/26/2015 (ksl.com) – Professional freestyle skier Jamie Crane-Mauzy was at the height of her career when a devastating injury nearly cost her her life. Now, she’s beating expectations and fighting for a full recovery. It was on the hills of Park City Mountain Resort where she mastered her craft. Now her goal is to make it back.
California Medical Association Embraces “Death Selection” 5/25/2015 (Human Exceptionalism) – The California Medical Association has rescinded its opposition to assisted suicide. How a medical association can adopt a (supposedly) NEUTRAL stance about something as ethically portentous and radically subverting of Hippocratic values as assisted suicide is beyond me.
Remembering Terri Schiavo By Paul Dobbyn 5/22/2015 (The Catholic Leader) – TRULY the Lord works in mysterious ways as Bobby Schindler, brother to the late Terri Schiavo, testified when he spoke at Cherish Life Queensland’s Hope For the Future Conference in Brisbane.
New York Times Cover Story Pushes Suicide 5/18/2015 (NRO) – The liberal media have largely become suicide pushers. Now, the New York Times Magazine has a front page story touting the suicide of a woman with Alzheimer’s. From, “The Last Day:”
‘Brain-Dead’ Girl Awakes After Prayer Session, Makes Full Recovery 5/16/2015 (Daily Mail) – On the night of September 11, 2011, Taylor was hanging out with friends after a football game when one of them said he had to go. Hale, then 14 years old, and another girl playfully hopped on the hood of his car to stop him from leaving.
Euthanasia’s Cancerous Corruption of Medical Morality 5/15/2015 (First Things) – During World War II, German doctors euthanized disabled babies and adults. As Robert Jay Lifton reported in The Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide, no one forced these doctors to kill.
Right-to-Die Group Gave Woman Blueprint Instructions How to Kill Herself 5/14/2015 (Daily Mail) – A Minnesota right-to-die group has been accused of giving a woman instructions on how to kill herself. Doreen Dunn, 57, was found dead on her couch in Apple Valley, Georgia, by her husband after complaining of chronic pain in 2007.
Bigot Peter Singer: Don’t Pay to Treat Disabled Babies 5/13/2015 (NRO) – Peter Singer is a bigot. Rather than believing in universal human equality, he would invidiously measure the capacities of human beings to determine whether they are “persons.”
Family Maintains Vigil by the Side of Schoolgirl Hit by Car 5/12/2015 (couriermail.com.au) – Browns Plains father Shane McColl and other family members of seven-year-old Sienna McColl have maintained a vigil by her side as she recovers after being hit by a car outside her school.
The Great Assisted Suicide Political Con 5/10/2015 (NRO) – Once a society accepts killing as an answer to human suffering, the caste of killables never stops expanding. Thus, in the Netherlands and Belgium, doctors not only euthanize the terminally ill, but also the elderly “tired of life,” the disabled, and the mentally ill. American advocates respond to these facts on the ground-not a slippery slope argument-by arguing that we are different in the USA.
China Still Killing and Harvesting Falun Gong 5/07/2015 (NRO) – China is a brutal tyranny in which all manner of oppressions are imposed by the government-such as its authoritarian one-child policy-recently praised by VP Joe Biden with faint damnation, while being outright praised by others.
Teen with Traumatic Brain Injury to Graduate 5/05/2015 (News Press Now) – Almost two years ago, a neurosurgeon told Stacey Mohr-Conley that it was possible her son Noah wouldn’t recover from his traumatic brain injury. “He told us not to expect anything, that he may be like this for the rest of his life,” Ms. Mohr-Conley says.
Pushing “Social Justice” Medical Bigotry 5/04/2015 (NRO) – “Don’t mention death panels!” the medical technocrats often scream-as they plot and plan to institute death panels.
Dear Grandma, Aren’t You Ready to Die Yet? 5/01/2015 (evolutionnews.org) – We can’t have expensive old people hanging around using up resources (that their enterprise and hard work helped generate!). So the bureaucratic-controlled National Health Service in the UK wants doctors to ask every elderly person — healthy or not — whether they want a DNR (do not resuscitate) order put on their chart.
April
Patients with TBI’s Need Effective Cognitive Neuroscience-Based Therapies 4/30/2015 (news-medical.net) – Patients with traumatic brain injuries are not benefiting from recent advances in cognitive neuroscience research – and they should be, scientists report in a special issue of Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences.
Dying Man Awaits Assisted Suicide Ruling 4/29/2015 (iolnews.com) – Cape Town advocate Robert Stransham-Ford, who is terminally ill with prostrate cancer, will know on Thursday whether the high court in Pretoria will grant him an order allowing a doctor to assist him in dying. He asked Judge Hans Fabricius on Wednesday to declare that he may end his life by way of assisted death.
Brain Injury Recovery Surpasses All Expectations 4/28/2015 (dailytelegraph.com.au) – It has been a long road to recovery for Luke Stojanovic after suffering horrific injuries in a motocross training accident in 2012 that almost claimed his life.
Ending Futile Care Dehydrations in Texas 4/27/2015 (NRO) – It has been a frustrating experience to witness the difficulties in repealing Texas’s oppressive futile care law that permits bioethics committees to order patients off wanted life-sustaining treatment based on “quality of life” (read money). Opponents have been divided about approach to this issue.
Schiavo’s Brother Tells Lenawee Audience of Battle for Life 4/25/2015 (lenconnect.com) – The brother of Terri Schiavo described his family’s anguish in losing a legal battle 10 years ago to keep the Florida woman alive, and told an audience many similar cases are occurring across the country.
Hall County Woman Has Come Long Way Since 2006 Near-Fatal Wreck 4/24/2015 (gainesvilletimes.com) – The journey to recovery has been slow for Brittany Walters, but the milestones are coming, one by one, for the Hall County woman. “She has been just headstrong ever since she came home from the hospital,” said her mother, Tina Walters, of Northwest Hall.
Their Doctor Told Them to Starve Their Baby to Death 4/23/2015 (LifeNews.com) – The Hippocratic Oath is perhaps the most widely known of Greek medical texts. It requires a new physician to swear that he will uphold a number of professional ethical standards. In the oath, a physician swears:
Neuroplasticity: How the Brain Can Heal Itself 4/22/2015 (abc.net.au) – Scientists now know that the brain has an amazing ability to change and heal itself in response to mental experience. This phenomenon, known as neuroplasticity, is considered to be one of the most important developments in modern science for our understanding of the brain.
Kill or Get Out of Medicine! 4/21/2015 (NRO) – Medical martyrdom is coming, a term I coined to describe doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other such professionals being forced (soon) to choose between their callings and participating in the intentional taking of human life.
Brain Injury Survivor, Robin Harvey an Inspiration 4/20/2015 (Boston Herald) – Alyson Jodoin assessed the situation fairly quickly. The physical therapist had not worked at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital long, but she had yet to see a brain injury quite as bad as Robin Harvey’s.
1/3 Dutch General Practitioners Would Kill Mentally Ill! 4/17/2015 (NRO) – Whoa! Don’t tell me that euthanasia doesn’t lead off a vertical moral cliff: A recentsurvey of Netherlander MD general practitioners found that very high percentages would kill cancer patients, and 1/3 would be willing to euthanize the mentally ill.
Connecticut Defeats Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide 4/16/2015 (LifeNews.com) – On April 14, at 5:00 p.m., the Assisted Suicide bill “died in committee” for the third year in a row. We told you all three years that defeating the Assisted Suicide bill in Committee was the highest legislative priority of the Family Institute of Connecticut Action.
A Life That Mattered: The Cruel Case of Terri Schiavo 4/15/2015 (Bucks County Courier Times) – Phil Gianficaro’s March 29th column on Terri Schiavo says her parents’ worst cruelties overshadowed their best intentions. He owes the Schindler family a huge apology. What was cruel was how Terri’s husband stopped her rehabilitation once he got the money from the lawsuit.
Brain-Injury Survivor Uses Memories in Master’s Thesis 4/14/2015 (Herald News) – In many ways, Kendra Gottschall’s life has become her life’s work. Because, sometimes, you need to live an experience in order to help others understand it.
Machines Always Things, Never “Persons” 4/13/2015 (NRO) – In light of the transhumanist advocacy for “machine rights,” should artificial intelligence (AI) ever be invented, I decided to weigh in over at First Things on the craziness of it all. First, I write, machines will always be things, not “persons.” From, “AI Machines: Things not Persons.”
After Inspiring the World, Lauren Hill Has Died 4/10/2015 (LifeNews.com) – Lauren Hill was an inspiration to millions of people around the world with her life-affirming fight against a rare form of brain cancer.
Woman in Coma Who Gave Birth Now Awake 4/09/2015 (WATE) – An East Tennessee woman whose baby was born while she was in a coma is now awake, according to friends.
Peter Singer’s Ethics Should Not Be Applauded 4/08/2015 (NRO) – In a world in which someone who makes a politically incorrect utterance can be ruined, Peter Singer should be anathema, given his truly awful beliefs. Instead, he is looked to as a respected ethicist, for example, an article in the Wall Street Journal about his book urging that we give 1/3 of our incomes to charity. But the writer left out so much about what makes Singer’s utilitarian values so rotten-and often anti-human. Consider:
Doctors: 90 Percent Chance Man in Coma Would Never Wake Up 4/07/2015 (Yahoo News) – Danielle Josey Davis had been married only seven months when a devastating motorcycle accident left her husband on life support and in a coma. Doctors recommended letting Matt Davis die because there was a 90 percent chance he would never wake up, but Danielle told ABC News she decided it just wasn’t time yet.
Remembering the Tragedy of Terri Schiavo 4/06/2015 (Daily Times) – I kept my promise. And there, in a nutshell, you have the crux of the tragic, highly publicized ordeal of a young Philadelphia woman whose life and how it ended became the dividing line between those who think that even imperfect lives are valuable, and those who believe they have the “right” to determine which ones really matter.
10 Years Later, Terri Schiavo’s Death Still Haunts 4/03/2015 (WND) – When the feeding tube was removed from Terri Schindler Schiavo in 2005, she swallowed, she laughed, she loved and she was not in a persistent vegetative state as the media indicated, according to her brother, Bobby Schindler.
Father Pavone: Terri Schiavo’s Inconvenient Life 4/01/2015 (LifeSiteNews.com) – I spent the night of March 30, 2005, in a Florida hospice. I was at the bedside of Terri Schiavo during the last 14 hours of her earthly life, right up until five minutes before her death. During that time with Terri, joined by her brother and sister, I told Terri over and over that she had many friends around the country, many people who were praying for her and were on her side.
March
March 31, 2005: Terri Schiavo Dies 3/31/2015 From March 31, 2005 (Fox News) – Terri Schiavo died Thursday morning around 10 a.m. EST after her parents had plead with her husband Michael Schiavo to allow them to be at their brain-damaged daughter’s bedside in her final hours, a spokesman for the family said.
Day 10: If ‘There’s Breath, There’s Hope’ 3/27/2015 March 27, 2005, Day 10 of Judge George W. Greer’s court ordered death by starvation and dehydration of Terri Schiavo.
Day 8: A Turning Point in The Culture War 3/25/2015 March 25, 2005, Day 8 of Judge George W. Greer’s court ordered death by starvation and dehydration of Terri Schiavo.
Terri Schiavo’s Brother Says Americans’ Medical Rights Have Drastically ‘Eroded’ 3/25/2015 (The Blaze) – Bobby Schindler, the brother of Terri Schiavo and executive director of the Terri Schiavo Life and Hope Network, said giving patients food and water through feeding tubes has been reclassified as medical treatment in some areas, and it has “eroded” Americans’ medical rights.
Day 4: President Bush Signs Schiavo Bill 3/21/2015 March 21, 2005, Day 4 of Judge George W. Greer’s court ordered death by starvation and dehydration of Terri Schiavo.
The Tenth Anniversary of Terri Schiavo’s Death Penalty 3/20/2015 (Dr. Mark Mostert/American Thinker) – In Florida, persons condemned to death have a choice of how their death sentence will be carried out. The condemned have the option of electrocution or the less spectacular (and presumably less painful) lethal injection. This, of course, is after all their appeals have been exhausted.
March 18, 2005: Day 1 of Judge George W. Greer’s Court Ordered Death by Starvation and Dehydration of Terri Schindler Schiavo 3/18/2015 Over the next 13 days, the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network will post stories of the events that occurred on each one of those horrific days of Terri’s inhumane death. Not only to remember Terri, but also to keep in mind the countless people who, as we speak, are suffering slow, agonizing deaths in hospices, nursing homes, and hospitals in America and around the world.
Montana House Passes Assisted Suicide Ban 3/17/2015 (NRO) – Assisted suicide is often pushed these days as inevitable, an agenda that can’t be stopped. Never mind that theocratic Massachusetts voters said no to assisted suicide in 2012. Oops.
Compassion and Choices Takes Over NY Times 3/16/2015 (NRO) – To no one’s surprise, the New York Times has editorialized in favor of assisted suicide. It is telling about the current state of the elite media how closely the Times’ lackeys editorialists hew to the Hemlock Society Compassion and Choice’s talking points.
Basketball Team Defends Cheerleader From Bullies 3/13/2015 (Tribune Media) – Several middle school basketball players in Wisconsin took a stand against bullying in a unique way. Desiree Andrews is a cheerleader for the Lincoln Middle School basketball team. She also has Down syndrome.
Archbishop Chaput: The Blessing of Persons Among Us With Special Needs 3/12/2015 (CatholicPhilly.com) – It’s a simple fact: Raising a child with disabilities can be difficult. The real choice in accepting or rejecting a child with special needs is never between some imaginary perfection and imperfection. None of us is perfect. No child is perfect.
Former NFL Player with ALS Testifies Against Assisted Suicide Bill 3/11/2015 (Catholic Standard) – O.J. Brigance, a former Baltimore Ravens tackle who was diagnosed eight years ago with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” urged Maryland lawmakers March 10 to reject a proposal that would allow terminally ill patients to end their own lives.
Bulls Goalie Recovering From ‘Major Head Injury’ 3/08/2015 (Billings Gazette) – In the blink of an eye, the future of Alex Meagher’s hockey career took a frightful turn Saturday night. The Billings Bulls goalie is recovering from what head coach Joe Deptula is calling “a major head injury” that left him motionless on the ice for several minutes in Gillette, Wyo.
Wesley J. Smith: The Great Terri Schiavo Divide 3/06/2015 (First Things) – At the end of this month, Terri Schiavo will be ten years dead. But she is far from forgotten. Everyone reading these words knows the story, and everyone has an opinion.
End Baby “Incompatible with Life” Bigotry 3/05/2015 (NRO) – I am sure everyone agrees that the language we use to describe human beings is important. For example, we loathe the N-word because its very purpose is to denigrate, dehumanize, de-equalize, and degrade.
Family Loses Lawsuit Attempting to Make Nursing Home Starve Their Mother 3/04/2015 (LifeNews.com) – The British Columbia Court of Appeal has dismissed a request from the family of an 83-year-old woman that their mother no longer be given nourishment or liquids by staff members at the nursing home where she resides, says Toronto health and human rights lawyer Hugh Scher.
Family of Jahi McMath to Sue Children’s Hospital 3/03/2015 (NBC Bay Area) – A little more than a year after 13-year-old Jahi McMath was declared brain dead, the Oakland teen’s family plans to file a lawsuit Tuesday against the hospital where she received surgery for her sleep apnea.
Smith: Suicide Advocacy Hurts the Sick 3/01/2015 (NRO) – The herd media always present assisted suicide as compassionate and caring. To the contrary, it is ultimately abandoning and promotes invidious discrimination against the sick and disabled, seen broadly as unworthy of protecting from suicide.
Pushing Death: L.A. Times Says We Should Call Assisted Suicide “Justifiable Suicide” 2/25/2015 (LifeNews.com) – In 2014, 29-year-old cancer patient Brittany Maynard received national attention after she announced her plans to kill herself under Oregon’s assisted suicide law. Maynard found out she had stage II glioblastoma multiforme and had up to ten years to live.
Immediate Release: PRO-LIFE CHAMPION BR. PAUL O’DONNELL DIES 2/23/2015 PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 23, 2015) – The Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network releases the following statement: Brother Paul Joseph O’Donnell, superior of the Franciscan Brothers of Peace of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, unexpectedly passed away at his home on February 20, 2015. He was 55.
A Tribute to Brother Paul O’Donnell 2/22/2015 (By Dr. Mark Mostert) – Last week, in the fight for people with severe medical and other disabilities, indeed, in the fight against the culture of death, we have lost a lion who devoted his life to protecting the weakest and most defenseless among us.
Rest in Peace, Brother 2/20/2015 Brother Paul O’Donnell, Chairman of the Board for the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, unexpectedly passed away. Brother Paul was not only the chairman but part of the Schindler family for many years. He was instrumental in thier lives, standing by their side and serving as our spokesman during the height of Terri’s ordeal, and involved with the Life & Hope Network since its inception.
Forcing Doctors to Lie About Assisted Suicide 2/18/2015 (NRO) – California’s assisted suicide bill would-like Washington’s law-require doctors to lie about the cause of death in assisted suicide. From SB 128:
Oxygen Therapy: The Treatment Behind Serviceman’s Amazing Recovery 2/17/2015 (The Telegraph) – Few of those who saw him will have forgotten the image of injured paratrooper Ben Parkinson carrying the Olympic torch in 2012, struggling courageously on prosthetic legs through his home town of Doncaster.
Death Panels: New 29-Point Checklist Determines if Elderly Person May Die 2/16/2015 (LifeNews.com) – “Obamacare’s shoddy implementation doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of its great evil,” reported Breitbart late last year, referring to the healthcare rationing that is insidiously hidden within the pages of the evasive law.
Rescind Jahi Death Certificate Request Coming 2/15/2015 (NRO) – According to a media report out of New Jersey, a third doctor-the others are Shewmon and Calixto-has signed a declaration stating Jahi McMath is not brain dead. The family attorney Chris Dolan says he will petition the California Secretary of State to rescind the death certificate. From the N.J.com story:
Repairing the Brain: Why We’re Living in an Age of Neuroscience 2/14/2015 (The Independent) – One of the most extraordinary stories in Norman Doidge’s new book, The Brain’s Way of Healing, is that of the Broadway singer, Ron Husmann. Husmann developed multiple sclerosis (MS) and, over a 30-year period, the disease robbed him of his rich baritone voice and most of the function of his limbs.
Schiavo Network Chair Talks about Euthanasia 2/13/2015 (The Observer) – Brother Paul O’Donnell of the Franciscan Brothers of Peace in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been at the forefront of the work to help assure life and dignity of those who have been injured.
Schiavo Brother Says Sister’s Plight Common 2/12/2015 (thetimes-tribune.com) – The brother of Terri Schiavo – the woman whose situation became a flashpoint in the anti-abortion and disability-rights movements – called on advocates to help raise awareness of “imposed death” at a Pennsylvanians for Human Life Scranton Chapter breakfast Saturday.
Family’s Lawsuit Attempts to Make Nursing Home Starve Their Mother to Death 2/11/2015 (LifeNews.com) – Oral nutrition – like spoon feeding – should not be considered health care or medical treatment, but rather seen as basic personal care and support, says Toronto health and human rights lawyer Hugh Scher, who recently advanced this position at the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
The Catholic Church’s Terri Schiavo Scandal 2/10/2015 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Tuesday’s article by Wesley Smith brought flooding back to me the dismay, even nausea, so many of us felt for weeks while watching the slow, terribly painful, public execution of Terri Schiavo by starvation and dehydration.
Our Amazingly Plastic Brains 2/09/2015 (Wall Street Journal) – Can the brain heal and preserve itself-or even improve its functioning-as we get older? For some time, many scientists have tended to think of our brains as machines, most commonly as computers, destined to break down over time under the strain of age and use.
“Starve Alzheimer’s Patients” Pushed Again 2/08/2015 (NRO) – The principle that all patients must always receive humane care is under pronounced assault in bioethics, Indeed, some bioethicists now argue that nursing homes should be required to starve Alzheimer’s patients to death-even if they willingly eat, and presumably even if the patient begs for food-if so instructed in an advance medical directive.
Canadian Docs OK Putting Patients Down 2/07/2015 (NRO) – I have now fully digested the Canada Supreme Court’s absurd ruling lethally injecting euthanasia into the Maple Leaf vein. My stomach hurts.
Wesley J. Smith: Hospice, Defend Yourself! 2/06/2015 (First Things) – Hospice is about living, not dying. More precisely, hospice supports life with dignity for its patients and offers invaluable social and emotional support for patients’ families.
Hours Before the Hospital Was to Turn Off Her Ventilator, She Woke Up 2/03/2015 (LifeNews.com) – On December 12, 56-year-old Teri Roberts fell ill with flu-like symptoms which quickly turned serious. Admitted to the hospital, the grandmother-of-five “was diagnosed with Group A streptococcus, which led to toxic shock syndrome,” The Daily Mail reported.
Schindler: We All Need to Wake Up 2/03/2015 (LifeNews.com) – Recently, the United States Supreme Court announced it would review the procedure for lethal injection used for death row inmates across the nation and whether or not that procedure is unconstitutional.
Cousins Commit Joint Suicide at Swiss Clinic 2/02/2015 (NRO) – Two elderly cousins, who worried about being separated, have flown to Switzerland where they were made dead while holding hands. From the Telegraph story:
The Dutch “Better Killed than Disabled” Bigotry 1/28/2015 (NRO) – I have been reporting on the non-voluntary euthanasia deaths in the Netherlands for more than 20 years, the infanticide, euthanasia of the elderly “tired of life,” psychiatrists killing the mentally ill.
Erring on the Side of Life 1/26/2015 (Townhall.com) – The history of human knowledge as it relates to the human body is a fascinating and terrible thing. In every age, the ability for physicians and other medical practitioners to effectively treat wounds or combat disease has been constrained by the technology – or lack thereof – available at the time.
Let’s Force Doctors to Starve Alzheimer’s Patients! 1/22/2015 (NRO) – Immoral bioethical policies and practices advance toward implementation through discourse-first in professional journals, and then in elite popular media columns. That process is now gearing up regarding what I call “VSED-by-Proxy.”
89-Year-Old Filmed Begging for Food in Shocking Nursing Home Video 1/21/2015 (LifeNews.com) – In a disturbing video out of London, 89-year-old Edna Slann is seen begging for food and telling her granddaughter that the nursing home where she is staying isn’t feeding her.
Dutch Euthanasia for Tinnitus! 1/20/2015 (NRO) – Euthanasia is a voracious beast, its hunger never assuaged. Now, in the Netherlands, a woman was lethally injected because of severe tinnitus. From the DutchNews.nl story:
Fijians’ Culture of Compassion 1/19/2015 (The Press Democrat) – Brad Dreyer’s day begins in Glen Ellen at 8:30 each morning with the arrival of Bentley Wan. For the rest of the day, the patient man with an easy grin will be Dreyer’s nurse, physical therapist, driver, valet and best friend.
Race Car World Champion Slowly Improves from TBI, Recognizes Family 1/16/2015 (Air Herald) – Michael Schumacher’s condition has been improving lately after his horrible skiing accident in the French Alps. Many people would have written him off after the head trauma that he’s suffered, but it seems as his condition has slowly been improving.
Media Fails to Connect PVS Dehydration Dots 1/14/2015 (NRO) – Count on the media to miss the obvious angle when it comes to the culture of death. The story of Martin Pistorius-believed falsely to have been unconscious for 12 years-is all over the mainstream media. NPR is typical:
16-Year-Old Coma Patient Showing Signs of Recovery 1/12/2015 (St. George News) – Britton Shipp, a 16-year-old Snow Canyon High School student, has remained in a coma since suffering a traumatic brain injury in an ATV accident Nov. 1, 2014, but the outpouring of support from the community for this young man and his family continues, and Britton has shown recent promising signs of improvement on his long road to recovery.
Wesley J. Smith: The Historical Kevorkian 1/10/2015 (First Things) – I am often asked for interviews by students who are writing papers about the assisted suicide issue. I am always happy to oblige. Most ask why I oppose assisted suicide and whether I think guidelines can prevent the slippery slope.
Remapping Damaged Brain Could Improve Rehabilitation 1/09/2015 (Neurology Advisor) – Researchers have uncovered an interplay between brain regions that contributes to motor function recovery following brain damage.
More Proof College Students Support the Killing of Infants and Young Children 1/08/2015 (College Fix) – A College Fix article that went viral last fall drew attention to an emerging inclination among young people: pro-life activists who engage college students on campuses across the country are seeing support for so-called “post-birth abortion,” or the killing of infants and young children. It was a report so shocking, many did not want to believe it.
Holland: Up To 650 Babies Euthanized Every Year 1/07/2015 (LifeSiteNews.com) – As many as 650 babies are euthanized every year in the Netherlands because they are believed to be suffering or because a newborn’s imminent natural death is emotionally distressing for the parents, reports the Royal Dutch Medical Association (KNMG).
Dancing Toward Recovery 1/06/2015 (timesunion.com) – While most of Laura Casellini’s friends were heading off to college and starting their adult lives, the 18-year-old town resident was re-learning to swallow, walk and speak. “I had just graduated high school, which was the best day of my life, and two days later, the worst day of my life,” Casellini said.
Killable 1/05/2015 (NRO) – Slate has published a wonderful series of photos of babies only seconds in the world. According to some very prominent bioethicists-past and present-certain, or even any, of these littlest people are killable-either because they are denigrated as human “non-persons” or because they have terminal or seriously disabling conditions.
