|
|
Pro-Life Works: A Meeting of Minds February 26, 2010 A Meeting of Minds When does the exact moment of death occur? How is the human soul manifested within the body? How do we protect the dignity of the human person in cases of organ transplants and organ donations? How is brain death determined? These questions relating to end of life issues prompted Texas Right to Life to host the first End of Life Issues Conference on February 6th, in Corpus Christi, TX. Texas Right to Life invited a group of doctors, theologians, lawyers, and philosophers to participate in a round table discussion of the moral and ethical implications pertaining to end of life in cases of brain injury patients and organ donor transplants. The daylong conference began with the philosophical and theological considerations with regard to the presence of the human soul in each person, including individuals who have been declared brain dead. There is a vital need for consensus on the issue of when death occurs, however there is no agreement among the philosophical, theological, and medical communities. Most Reverend Rene Henry Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi, stated that the Catholic Church defines death as the total separation of the human soul from the body. In the case of patients who have been declared “brain dead”, this question of separation of soul and body becomes critical. If the brain is no longer functioning is there an absence of a soul? From a Christian perspective, the answer is resoundingly no. The soul inhabits the entire being, not just one part, and instead radiates and animates throughout every living cell and organ. Due to advances in science and technology and the use of artificial means to keep brain injury patients alive, determining complete absence of brain wave activity becomes more complex. To do this, doctors make a determination of brain death based on a group of 14 criteria. However, Dr. David Hargroder, a physician from Missouri who attended the conference, expressed a concern in weakening standards for concluding brain death. Is an individual truly dead or simply in a coma? Mercedes Arzú Wilson, who is the president of the Family of the Americas Foundation and a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, presented a report citing a conclusion of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Harvard Medical School which stated, “It is important to keep in mind that only someone alive can be in a coma, even when the condition is said to be irreversible. Neither the term “coma” nor the phrase “comatose state” can be applied to someone who is actually dead.” After all, once a person is truly dead all organs and tissue immediately begin a state of decomposition. What are the ethical and moral implications of this? Organs which have begun decomposition are not viable for implantation. The demand for human organ donors continues to rise. Families are urged to donate their loved one’s organs to save the lives of others. At the conference, Dr. Hargroder briefly outlined the organ transplant procedure. He stated that the heart is the most sensitive organ within the human body to deteriorate from a lack of oxygen. During the procedure, he explained how extreme care must be taken to prevent the heart from damage while extracting it from the donor. Surgeons have literally only minutes to remove the heart from the donor and into the waiting recipient. Furthermore, Ms. Wilson’s report states, “… a surgeon removes a beating heart or STOPS the beating heart just before lifting it out of the donor’s chest.” The potential for abuse and manipulation of organ transplants and brain dead patients must be considered. The panel also discussed another important area of concern, specifically for Texans. The Texas Advanced Directives Act also known as the Futile Care Law or Ten Day Law sparks heated debate among Pro-Life advocates and the TX Legislature. The controversy centers on the tremendous decision placing power to continue or discontinue patient care in the hands of a hospital ethics committee board. Attorney Bill Collins, Jr. explained that section 166.039 of the bill describes who gets to “pull the plug” on patients who enter a health care facility with severe injuries which could be deemed “irreversible”. Even worse, section 166.046 outlines a strict timeframe in which families are given only 10 days to find and transfer their loved one to another facility that will agree to continue long-term care. It’s difficult to imagine that a health care facility would elect to discontinue treatment of a patient by overriding the patient or family’s intent, but it is happening. The motive here is financial. Even a short hospital stay for minor treatment or surgery is costly. The financial cost required for long term care of a patient, regardless of insurance, is staggering. Robert Painter, a Houston attorney who also attended the conference said, “It’s not a doctor driven process, but a financial one. …The ethics process is driven by the hospital administration.” You can read more about the dangers of the Texas Futile Care Law and how to protect yourself at: www.survivinghospitals.com. The End of Life Issues conference concluded with a determined commitment to continue the dialogue and search for clearly articulated definitions of death which also include brain death. At the center of this goal is to preserve the inherent dignity of human life, regardless of age, illness, or disability.
Cindy Valdez Texas Right to Life Membership Services Associate
|
