Infant Euthanasia ???

catefrances

redrock wrote:

polaris_x wrote:

this is a no-brainer for me ...

i totally support assisted suicide in adults in cases where significant suffering is occuring ... i would support this wholeheartedly if it appeared the infant was in extreme agony ...

But the pain it must cause, as a parent.... You must be ripped apart - one side thinking you need to stop your baby suffering, the other thinking you are giving the OK to kill your baby....

i dont think a parent faced with this decision would ever think it was okay to kill their baby. itd be more a resignation that the only thing you can do for your child is to end their life. as a parent my question would be how can i allow my child to suffer continually with such extreme pain. am i suppose to just dope my child to dull that pain. and for what? in hope a cure arises? in hope they 'get better'? alls i know is i would never pass judgement on any parent who faced with such a decision chose to end their childs suffering.

_

I support euthanasia and assisted suicide throughout all points in the life cycle. Some people experience suffering like most of us are incapable of even imagining. If this were the case for someone I loved, I would (hope to have the strength to) end their agony. For those - like infants, fetuses, animals, the unconscious, etc. - who are unable to make and communicate their choice, their families have a responsibility to decide what is in their (the one suffering's) best interest and make it happen, regardless of how difficult it may be. I'm not purporting to judge what's in the best interest of someone else's loved one. I'm just saying I think it's unconscionable that families be forbidden from acting in the best interest of / protecting their own baby (or grandma, or pet, etc.). Can you imagine if your own child were being tortured while you stood by and watched and you had the power to stop it but were disallowed by law? :(

ONCE DEVIDED

StillHere wrote:

These are such sad, sad, stories. I feel for those who have even had to THINK about making such a decision, let alone what would happen if the time came when that decision was imminent.

I don't think that parents would do this to lighten their own burdern....not at all. It is probably one of the most selfless acts a parent could do...and one that I ....so far....know that I could not do.

Now, that's easy to say since I have 3 children who grew up healthy and 5 healthy grandbaby boys. I can sit here and say, no I could NEVER do that...never make that decision.

But after reading some of your stories, I have to wonder if I could. If it really came down to it. Could I? I've thought about that a lot over the last couple of days.....and I still cannot wrap my head around it...can't imagine ever being able to make that decision.

But at least I have a more open mind and more understanding about why people could and would make that choice.

I'm sorry that so many have had to go through such suffering and relate their stories ...that I might change my outlook....but I'm happy to have heard those stories, no matter how difficult they are. You all have taught me what complete selflessness means to you.

In my life, I still maintain i could not....but if you feel that you would have no other choice, neither could I condemn you for it.

Best to all of those dealing with these terrible illnesses. I can only realize how blessed my family truly has been.

To you I send all the bests vibes I can muster...and I know that no matter what I would do, I could not make it better for you and your child. I send them anyway....hoping for miracles.

wow what a wonderful post.
I share my story for this exact reason.
I dont want to change your mind. I just want to broaden your thoughts.
there are so many stories out there. and getting a different point of view, and the reasons behind them help broaden all our minds.
this is what message boards like this are for
not flaming each other