Hospital Set to Pull the Plug on Patient who Wants to Live

[WildColonialGirl]

Why aren't these "right to life" groups spending their money lobbying for universal health care?

[Unsettomati]

Originally Posted by WildColonialGirl

Why aren't these "right to life" groups spending their money lobbying for universal health care?

They're more 'pro-birth' than 'pro-life'.

But you'd think it would dawn on them that if a pregnant woman doesn't have health care, her zygote/fetus doesn't have health care, either.

I guess protesting for health care - while actually practical - just doesn't fulfill their martyr complex.

[Scooby Snacks]

Originally Posted by TigerLily24

It's not accurate to make blanket statements like that. There are several low co-pay/NO deductible plans available in my state (CO).

Unfortunately, this man doesn't live in Colorado, and even more unfortunately, doesn't have the choice to do much of anything at this point.

[stevek64]

Originally Posted by Scooby Snacks

Unfortunately, this man doesn't live in Colorado, and even more unfortunately, doesn't have the choice to do much of anything at this point.

The individual you are responding to is referring to the medicaid version of obamacare that has been implemented in many states. One has to have a very low income to qualify. The middle class and above are out of luck on that one.

[Zimbochick]

Originally Posted by rodentraiser

I think what we're confusing here is a patient's desire to go naturally or have the doctor's pull the plug for him as opposed to whether or not there is any hope for the patient.

This doesn't have anything to do with how terminal his disease is or how much it's costing everyone. If the person is going to die, it's all about letting him die when he wants and not when the doctors want. I don't see the problem in pulling the plug if the patient wants it and not pulling it if he doesn't. It shouldn't have anything to do with whether or not the body is capable of living a few more months in the first case or incapable of living more than week in the second case. And it doesn't matter what I would do or what I believe. It's the patient's decision. Period.

Or should be.

Sure it's the patient's decision if there are still treatment options available. Once those have all been exhausted it's the ethical decision to stop.

[pacific2]

Someone who purports to be one of Chris Dunn's family members offers an entirely different perspective (excerpts below):
Help Chris Dunn See Christmas | RedState

jonedwards • 5 days ago

"A note from the family of Chris Dunn:

Because of the dishonesty with which
this story is being treated, some clarifications are necessary.

First and foremost, when the phrase
"the family" is used in this article, it is being used dishonestly.
It is saddening to see the wishes of a particular family member being presented
as if that individual spoke for the entire family. Chris has other family—a
father for example—who are conspicuously absent from all media publications
concerning this story...

...While we are on the subject of the
truth, the truth is that Chris is believed to have had terminal cancer for some
time. The truth is that his organs are shutting down. The truth is that his
condition is irreversible, and that no fewer than a dozen highly specialized
doctors have delivered the unfortunate news to the family that Chris is dying.

The truth is that there is no
"nameless, faceless death panel" that is "imposing" death
on Chris. The Ethics Committee of the hospital have personally met with family
representatives in order to explain Chris’s situation and to present options
for his continued care. The truth is that all personnel at Houston Methodist
Hospital have been empathetic, caring, professional, informative, and willing
to answer (face to face) any question the family has, all while faithfully
fulfilling Chris’s curative and comfort needs. Numerous personnel from the
hospital’s medical and administrative staff have met with the family for hours
on end to thoroughly answer our every question. None of this is to mention the
great lengths that were taken to save
Chris’s life two months ago when he arrived at Methodist Hospital near death.

The truth is that Chris was forcibly awakened
from a fifty-two day medically induced coma (because of the nature of his
condition) for the filming of the video that shows Christ pitifully begging for
his life. The truth is that because he had been medically sedated for fifty-two
days, Chris had (and still has) no idea what is actually going on. The truth is that waking an imminently
dying man to ask him if he wants to live is extraordinarily cruel. But it is
also true that it accomplishes precisely the purpose for which it was intended.
It tugs at the heartstrings and garners attention—absent any relevant details
of the patient’s condition. The truth is that at the time of this writing,
attorneys have again barged past hospital
security and into Chris’s room against hospital policy, against the family’s
wishes, and against HPPA law (a patient in Chris’s medical condition cannot
consent to his being filmed—and we suspect the attorneys should know this).
Again, he was forcibly awakened for questioning. Expect that video to be
released very soon..."

[Intotalshock]

Originally Posted by PoppySead

Obama"no" care is gross. If you haven't noticed it's not working. Nobody can afford it. Poor guy and his family.

Interesting.

[elan]

Originally Posted by Mathguy

I made the next logical step that he's fatally ill and they can't find any people in his family, community or even anonymous solicitations to scrape up the couple hundred dollars a month that income subsidized health insurance would cost for him?

I'm not being high and mighty assuming everyone can afford it....I'm acting on my own experiences helping others that are in a rough spot.

I feel badly for you that you live somewhere with people that won't pitch in for a person in crisis this like this guy and his family and that your natural inclination is to expect the worst of others. merry Christmas.

If they are taking a collection or have a crowdfunding website up, please post it to the thread.

I was willing to pay the premiums for a friend of mine. We tried signing her up several times, no luck. The government website asked for her income, not mine. There was no place to tell them you were being gifted the money for a policy. I guess we could have lied about her income, but that's fraud. Looking back on it, we should have called a broker to see if they had any ideas. Anyhoo, it appears that people helping other people buy a policy is easier said than done.

[elan]

Originally Posted by Zimbochick

Sure it's the patient's decision if there are still treatment options available. Once those have all been exhausted it's the ethical decision to stop.

Yep, it appears the mom is demanding the hospital go against what it feels is appropriate treatment. I don't blame her, I'd probably do the same. But, hospitals usually don't administer alternative treatments and that's understandable too. I sure don't have the answer, it's a sad situation. I also don't know that we are getting the full story either, it seems a bit off.

[TigerLily24]

Originally Posted by stevek64

The individual you are responding to is referring to the medicaid version of obamacare that has been implemented in many states. One has to have a very low income to qualify. The middle class and above are out of luck on that one.

No, I am not.
I can buy a low co-pay/ no deductible plan from Kaiser for the cost of a nice car payment. No subsidy.

One of the advantages of not living in Texas.