Death by Starvation

Kelly Taylor, a woman who has the congential heart condition Eisenmenger Syndrome decided that as she is now no longer able to be on the waiting list for a heart/lung transplant that she would be better off dead.  She feels that she is unable to contribute any more to society.  She has been campaigning for the law to be changed so that her husband, doctor or anybody else could help kill her without being charged with 'assisted suicide'.

To protect her husband from being charged, she decided to starve herself to death.  Thankfully, after 19 days she realised just how uncomfortable this was.  Sadly she is still intent on dying when she chooses and is still intent on changing the law to enable someone to help her do this, presumably less painfully.  At least she had the option to commence her feeding again and lived to explain how painful death by starvation is.

In 1992 Tony Bland was the first person in the UK to have his feeding tubes removed and he took about nine days to die of starvation.  In March 2005 Terri Schiavo was also starved to death, taking thirteen days to do so.  There have been numerous other people who have also been 'allowed to die' in this horrific manner.  Anybody who is dependent on feeding tubes to remain alive is at risk of having these tubes removed if they are unable to express their desire to remain alive.  They will then die of starvation, which as we knew before, but have now had it confirmed by Kelly Taylor, is a very uncomfortable process.

How long will it be before lethal injections are introduced?  What if someone then changes their minds as Kelly did?  It will be too late.  There is no going back.  We stopped capital punishment in this land because some people who were hanged were later found to be innocent.  People on death row may wait many, many years before finally receiving the lethal injection that kills them, during which time their lawyers and supporters will have done everything possible to overturn the ruling.  Yet an innocent person who, through no fault of their own is ill enough to require hospital treatment, is judged as valueless to society and can be disposed of on the say so of one or two judges and in future maybe just on the say so of one or two doctors, with no appeal.

Why are Kelly Taylor's family not encouraging her to live?  Do they really think their lives will be better off without her?  Kelly needs counselling not false compassion that says she would be better off dead.  Maybe the Samaritans could step in and talk to Kelly and assure her that her life is of value, or will they soon be going out of business because potential suicides are to be encouraged to die and helped in the process?

Kelly may think she has nothing left to contribute to society, but society, especially her family and friends have a lot that they can give to Kelly.  Sometimes it is easier to give than receive.  Perhaps Kelly should allow others to give to her their love and affection and be allowed to help Kelly enjoy her life, however long that may be, without the constant talk of helping her to die before her appointed time.  And if Kelly is in constant pain, then she needs to discuss this with her doctor and palliative care nurses so that she can receive the proper treatment that will enable her to concentrate on life not death.

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