Here’s a situation:
A sickly old woman wails every time she moves. Being heavy-built, the moving and walking efforts cause her to gasp for air thus resulting to groans. She said she just wants to moan to ease the aches and pains.
One day, the wailing becomes more louder, more frequent, more untimely. Still, she does not want to be brought to the hospital. She is in real pain and she is not aware of what is happening around but only about the aches and pain and the miserable condition. She couldn’t even lift a hand to put the pieces of mango into her mouth. She fell while going to the comfort room after fainting. The soiled clothing in her room, like rugs, smell of urine and what have yous but she is not even aware of them.
She pleads for death to come. She asks for reasons why she has to suffer. Still, she does not want to be brought to the hospital.
Now, the question.
Will you give in to a death wish? Will you assist someone to her death in whatever form you can?
Normally, the loving people around her will definitely want to bring her to the hospital to give her the immediate medical attention. This is in the hope of easing her pain or giving her relief, if not completely treating her illness.
To say that she is simply seeking attention or naglalambing is thoughtless and uncaring but for those people who loves her that much and wanted her to die in peace in whatever form, will it be understandable?
A friend said that sometimes it is better to give in to a beloved’s death wish. In the hospital, the environment would appear as not common and unfriendly to the ailing individual. The people that they love are not around therefore making them uneasy and alone.
But are these reasons enough to let the ailing person be?
Warmstone 