What Would I Want Done?

Since Terry was not on life support other than nutrition and hydration, she is not a typical example. She was murdered.

We've dealt with this numerous times as a pastor's family. One young man came in after a skateboarding accident and his brain was completely non-functional. It actually had turned in his skull. However, his brain stem was still working so his heart was still beating but he was not breathing on his own. After many tests, it was confirmed that he was completely brain dead and in the days as they were testing him, you could see his body breaking down - the doctor said that it was basically already decomposing.

However, we've also seen another case where we were told that the accident victim was brain dead but they were still breathing on their own - and they eventually recovered enough to communicate and are now in constant care but are a great blessing and do not wish to have anyone kill them.

For me, if I were like Vince, where I was dead and a machine was breathing for me, pull the plug. But if I'm alive and just needing nutrition and hydration, I'm no different from a child who also needs that and as such, I should receive that.

So my basic answer is "it depends".

 

All I ask is that my IV be filled with Mountain Dew (make that Diet)

 

That goes without question. An amazing thing about that young man who had the skateboarding accident - he was an organ donor and now over a year later, his father received some of his bone for a spinal fusion! I think it is actually helping him mentally.