(The Corner) – Imagine your dad is in the ICU with a stroke, struggling for life.
Imagine, having listened to the wise voices in bioethics, that he wrote an advance directive, leaving instructions about the medical treatment he wanted if incapacitated.
Imagine, that dad believes life itself is an intrinsic good, that he wants “everything” done to keep him going, which he has told you repeatedly and also set forth explicitly in his directive.
Imagine that the treatment he was receiving in the ICU was working as designed–keeping dad alive. Yes, it was difficult, but in his cogent moments, dad gave you a thumbs up about how he was doing.
Now, imagine dad’s doctors don’t believe dad’s life or prospects were worth the suffering caused by the treatment–even though dad accepts the struggle–or the cost. CONTINUE