Removing Life support

[utunumsint]

Hi,

My aunt had a stroke a few days ago. She has no brain activity, so they are going to remove all life support systems.

I suspect this is morally legitimate.

Can anyone confirm, and possibly point me to church teachings on these situations?

God bless,
Ut

 

[Bookcat]

Contact the National Catholic Bioethics Center and ask to speak with an ethicist --one will be paged…they can help

 

[Bookcat]

Phone number at bottom of page

ncbcenter.org/page.aspx?pid=347

ncbcenter.org/page.aspx?pid=436

ncbcenter.org/page.aspx?pid=277

(you can ask them if the last two are up to date --the last one is from 2005)

But give the ethicist a call

 

[Julia_Mae]

Hi,

My aunt had a stroke a few days ago. She has no brain activity, so they are going to remove all life support systems.

I suspect this is morally legitimate.

Can anyone confirm, and possibly point me to church teachings on these situations?

God bless,
Ut

**Call your pastor.
**

 

[Richard320]

Catechism says

2278 Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of “over-zealous” treatment. Here one does not will to cause death; one’s inability to impede it is merely accepted. The decisions should be made by the patient if he is competent and able or, if not, by those legally entitled to act for the patient, whose reasonable will and legitimate interests must always be respected.

2279 Even if death is thought imminent, the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be legitimately interrupted. The use of painkillers to alleviate the sufferings of the dying, even at the risk of shortening their days, can be morally in conformity with human dignity if death is not willed as either an end or a means, but only foreseen and tolerated as inevitable Palliative care is a special form of disinterested charity. As such it should be encouraged.

If the only thing keeping her alive is the respirator and such, it’s okay to unplug her.
You’re just accepting the inevitable.

 

[utunumsint]

Phone number at bottom of page

ncbcenter.org/page.aspx?pid=347

ncbcenter.org/page.aspx?pid=436

ncbcenter.org/page.aspx?pid=277

(you can ask them if the last two are up to date --the last one is from 2005)

But give the ethicist a call

Hi Bookcat,

These links were very helpful. My uncle and cousines are not religious people, so they would not benefit from these links, but my mother is. I think she will appreciate the information in these links.

God bless,
Ut