I may be wrong, but the only time life support is allowed to be disconnected is when the decision is being made by the next of kin and the patient is unconcious. I know that people have the right to refuse life saving measures, but once in place, I do not think a patient can have himself taken off the machines because it is viewed as being suicide.
A living will with a "Do Not Resuscitate" clause would dictate how a person would want any decision regarding life support to be handled when the time arose. Having this documentation from the patient would greatly relieve the family members from having to make that difficult decision regarding their loved one.
If a patient had demonstrated that they were in full use of their mental capacities when they were on their death bed and they were being administered life support even without a living will, then the physician would be hard pressed not to go along with the wishes of the patient.
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Isaiah 53:5: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."(KJV)
"God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves." Dwight L. Moody
A living will with a "Do Not Resuscitate" clause would dictate how a person would want any decision regarding life support to be handled when the time arose. Having this documentation from the patient would greatly relieve the family members from having to make that difficult decision regarding their loved one.
If a patient had demonstrated that they were in full use of their mental capacities when they were on their death bed and they were being administered life support even without a living will, then the physician would be hard pressed not to go along with the wishes of the patient.
I am familiar with DNR statements. My MIL had one in place before she died. I was thinking about this situation with this lady who died. She was put in the iron lung at 3 years of age, so it wasn't her decision to make. What if, at 18, she had decided she didn't want to be in the iron lung anymore, knowing she would die when disconnected from it? Would it be considered suicide, assisted suicide, or would it fall under her right to refuse treatment?
I have a friend who is on dialysis because of kidneys which have failed. Actually, one kidney was removed because it was cancerous and the remaining kidney does not function on its own. He's been on dialysis a couple of years now. He spends three days a week at the place where it's done. It's uncomfortable and leaves him feeling very weak. A while ago a man who had been on dialysis just got tired of all he was putting up with and decided to stop coming in. He died not long after that. I don't know that man or anything about his spiritual state but I think he had the right to make the decision he did.
I was called to the hospital a couple of years ago. Actually, this was on a Christmas eve around 2 or 3 in the morning. A young lady had been shot. When I saw her, her head was grotesquely swollen like a basket ball. She was non responsive when I spoke to her and prayed for her. Her mother (who is the age of my children) had been asked to make the decision as to whether or not to "pull the plug." There I was with the mother and the grandmother (who was about my age) and they were looking to me as a minister for advice on a life or death situation. I hugged them and prayed with then and I told them that we had prayed and had placed that girl in God's hands and that the people at the hospital had done all they could. This hospital is connected with the University of Cincinnati and is considered "the best." Actually, there was no real decision to make as the folks at the hospital told us that she would not make it so they did not discontinue life support and she just died within a couple of hours.
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Sam also known as Jim Ellis
Apostolic in doctrine
Pentecostal in experience
Charismatic in practice
Non-denominational in affiliation
Inter-denominational in fellowship
My wife and I both have "living wills" and in addition have given each other full "power of attorney." We went to a lawyer and had these documents prepared at the same time as we had our wills prepared. When I have gone to the hospital for surgery, they ask for a copy of the living will to put with their records.
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Sam also known as Jim Ellis
Apostolic in doctrine
Pentecostal in experience
Charismatic in practice
Non-denominational in affiliation
Inter-denominational in fellowship
I am familiar with DNR statements. My MIL had one in place before she died. I was thinking about this situation with this lady who died. She was put in the iron lung at 3 years of age, so it wasn't her decision to make. What if, at 18, she had decided she didn't want to be in the iron lung anymore, knowing she would die when disconnected from it? Would it be considered suicide, assisted suicide, or would it fall under her right to refuse treatment?
I don't believe that the state or God would have considered her wanting to discontinue being in the iron lung as suicide. Would it have hastened her death? Probably so, unless the Lord healed her.
Jim gave an example of a man that was on dialysis and he knew that stopping treatment would more than likely end in death, he chose to stop. It was his right to do so just like it would be the lady who was in the iron lung to get out if she desired to.
Many people have chosen not to continue treatment for a variety of diseases knowing full well that it would hasten their death. A cancer patient who decided to discontinue chemotherapy knowing full well that there life expectancy would be greatly affected, has a right to stop chemo without it being considered suicide.
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Isaiah 53:5: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."(KJV)
"God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves." Dwight L. Moody
I don't believe that the state or God would have considered her wanting to discontinue being in the iron lung as suicide. Would it have hastened her death? Probably so, unless the Lord healed her.
Jim gave an example of a man that was on dialysis and he knew that stopping treatment would more than likely end in death, he chose to stop. It was his right to do so just like it would be the lady who was in the iron lung to get out if she desired to.
Many people have chosen not to continue treatment for a variety of diseases knowing full well that it would hasten their death. A cancer patient who decided to discontinue chemotherapy knowing full well that there life expectancy would be greatly affected, has a right to stop chemo without it being considered suicide.
I agree.
Suicide is the deliberate act of causing one's death. Stopping life support of life saving treatment doesn't fall under that definition, although I can understand why some think it does or might.
Having been in a place where I wanted to die but not wanted to kill myself, I can totally relate to those people.
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I've gone and done it now! I'm on Facebook!!!
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