Quote:
Originally posted by wolf
Pretty horrible story, there.
Just to play devil's advocate for the moment ... given the description of the child, would euthenasia following multidisciplinary assessment after birth (or abortion prior, if the level of disability is known) be justified?
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Well, I think that if I, personally, knew that my child would be that gravely disabled, and if I knew it EARLY enough before birth (and I mean before six months, I'd say) that the idea of abortion would be a serious option. I'm against abortion, but I think that if a person would be so disabled that they would not have a life worth living (ie, never being able to speak or communicate, or walk, or even sit up unaided) that maybe it would be kinder to send them back to try again.
I know that I myself would not want to live like that, and I can only think that no one else would either, and I think it would hurt me to watch my child have that kind of existence. (of course, I can only see it from my point of view, having had a life...I can't say that it would be my place to choose for someone else).
As far as euthanasia...that's a little trickier...as much as I believe in euthanasia, or assisted suicide, for people who make that choice for themselves, I don't know if I'd be able to pass that kind of sentence on a helpless child that's already been brought into the world. I can't even put my animals to sleep without having serious emotional turmoil for months afterward (I've had to put two to sleep, and although it was necessary because they were incurably ill--one with cancer, one with a septacemic infection) it still felt like a betrayal of their trust...I don't think I could do that to a child...perhaps if they were anencephalatic...that would be different situation altogether.
Sidhe