Introduction
The debate regarding the power and the will to end one’s life is an ongoing one. With the advancement of technology and discovery of newer medications, doctors, to some extent have the power to delay death.
Euthanasia actually refers to the choice to end one’s life if one wishes to do so. When a patient is in the final stage of life, sometimes, the disease or the conditions of the patient, cause a lot of physical and psychological suffering. During such times, the patient could request for euthanasia, which involves the withdrawal of the therapy or life support system, to keep the patient alive. The withdrawal of the therapy enables the patient to accept death willfully, thereby relieving the patient of the intolerable pain due to certain terminal illnesses.
The patient could willfully choose to end life or the choice could be made by the close family members choose. However, there are many aspects to Euthanasia including legal, religious or social. Many religions and government have put a ban on euthanasia and have termed it as an approved form of suicide.
In most cases, Euthanasia is a dilemma to those who experience it in some way or the other. To the family members, it is and ordeal as morally they are expected to try their best to keep the patient alive, but psychologically have to bear the pain and suffering of their patient. It is often a moment of great crisis, especially when the diseases are terminal and incurable.
An aunt of mine suffered from uterine cancer and was undergoing therapy for it. However, since the illness was discovered at final stage, she very well knew that she had no chances of recovery. She had strictly instructed al her children to not take her to the hospital when she would lose control over her body and mind. Her children complied with her wishes and did not take her to the hospital. Instead, they were all be her side, praying for her peaceful passage from life to death. My aunt got the peaceful death she had desired and the children were saved the mental trauma of watching their mother helplessly. There was no artificial respiration and no therapy or medication of any kind.
She had chosen to die with respect and so she did
Thus, it is very crucial to weigh the pros and cons before deciding to visit the hospital when the patient is at the final stage of terminal illness. Very often, there is hope among the relatives that the patient will get over it and be normal again. But in most cases of incurable diseases, the patients suffer immensely from the artificial means to keep them alive.
Conclusion
However, the issues of life and death are very often dictated by our religious and cultural beliefs. Most religions prohibit and even consider it a sin to willfully die; as such euthanasia is termed as willful suicide. But there are many aspects to it and the debate will continue for as log as humans live and die. It is the responsibility of human beings to take all the factors into account and then decide on serous issues such as these. Thee dilemma and the pressure on the relatives with regard to euthanasia will be immense. As such I is the moral responsibility of patients to decide whether they wish to die peacefully or to be given another chance. But yet, the issue still remains…….. How does a person know whether or not there is a chance……………..and who decides?