Life+Support....+Necessary?

1. Your thesis statement should not be an answer to a question. It should be a concise statement of your argument. It's your premise. 2. Everything else looks great! You are ready to write! I will watch your parenthetical citations as you write the essay and help you to correct them. For now, don't worry about them. :)

Name: Kendall Abelman

‍‍‍‍‍Topic: Should dying people be placed on life support?
==‍‍‍‍‍Thesis Statement: Dying people everywhere are being placed on life support when they are almost fully lifeless. ‍‍‍‍‍Outline:== I. Introduction: (include general ideas that will introduce your topic) Everyday, a patient diagonosed with cancer or even slight breathing problems and they are placed on a form of life support. Is this placement their choice? Usually not, it is either the families or the doctors who are holding the sufferer back from what in their minds would be a sense of relief. The needs of the dying person are never considered in most situations, it is always the people surrounding them who are being inconsiderate. Life support isnt removing any pain or agony all it is doing is keeping the patient alive and barely passing by. The fact that dying people are being placed on life support is sad because they arent getting to experience everyday life. Unless you consider sitting in a hospital bed 24/7.

II. Body Paragraph #1 - Doctors are keeping their patients on life support for unapparent reasons and are allowing the years to add up quickly.
 * In the Karen Ann Quinlan Case, her father came to the idea that the life support was pointless. The parents signed a release saying they would like Karen to die with "grace and dignity". Doctors refused for the removal of the life support saying it was against their oath. "The act of life support isn't really living." (Joesph Quinlan) Doctors didn't answer Joesph's request until nine years later. This instance sadly occurs around the world but not necessarily this severe.
 * "Every person has a fundamental right of self determination with regard to refusing life-sustaining medical treatment"(US Supreme Court)
 * A West Virginia woman was taken off of life support after she suffered a double heart attack and doctors finally gave into the request since it is now a law to listen to the families consent. She was immediately sick and death sunk in quickly. Until 10 minutes later she was responsive and talking to the nurses in a firm voice. "Thomas' recovery is a medical mystery, her clutches of death was the work of God, not science." (Charleston Hospital Doctors') This shows that the doctors force of unremoval is holding back miracles.

III. Body Paragraph #2 - Families rather the member be taken off of life support because it it tough watching the state they are in.
 * A young girl was beaten into a coma by her adoptive mother and stepfather. Her parents had no say in anything but instead court did."She is not worth keeping alive. Unless we want her to starve to death."(Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court) This shows and backs up my topic how dying people shouldn't be placed on life support. This is coming from a trustworthy source.
 * "She's just a vegetable" (Quinlan) This quoteIi can gather information and compare the stability of usual humans.
 * "The patient virtually had no hope of recovery"(South Korean Supreme Court) After being in a comatose state for that long it will say consistent as long as the life support will run.

IV. Body Paragraph #3 - Death is a clear part of life and isn't meant to be prevented artificially.
 * "Lung machines and other respirators, made it possible for physicians to artificially maintain heart and lung function, blurring clear signs of an individual's death."(DeFrain ) The fact that it just blurs the signs but doesn't help any other symptoms is why dying people shouldn't be placed on life support.
 * "Meanwhile, according to the familiar story, the professional ambition of doctors to employ advanced medical treatment began to override the immediate interests of the dying patient"(Kaufman, Webb, and Scribner) Artificial prevention.
 * The body dies but in the religious and philosophical traditions the soul continues to live on. This means if doctors and family members are saddened by the fact that they will never get to see the deceased person again, they still have their soul around them. (DeFrain)

V. Conclusion - Don't write anything here yet.

Rough Draft

Introduction: Everyday, A person of any shape or size is placed on life support because of a severe coma or have a critical breathing problem. Their unbothered future would result in a death bed or coffin because their sickness got to a breaking point where the body could not handle it. Life support is reversing that result but that isn't always a good thing. Dying people should not be placed on life support because the whole process is an artifical way of living. Whenever you think of artificial, I bet the thoughts that appear aren't very positive. When natural comes to mind, thats the way things should be. Most people rather die in a peaceful way not when a few years later to be immediately removed from life support and die within 10 minutes. Peaceful does not happen much in most hospitals because doctors are holding back from the removal. Doctors aren't the ones who are suffering from the pain and agony so the patients should have the right of way. The fact that dying people have this unwanted placement is extremely bereaving and they aren't even having the slightest say. Dying people no matter what age should not be placed on life support because nothing is easy in that state of being.

Doctors all over are keeping their ill patients on life support for unapparent reasons and it is becoming a growing problem. According to the US Supreme Court, "Every person has a fundamental right of self determination with regard to refusing life-sustaining treatment." With this in mind, Doctors are going against peoples rights in every way when they are choosing to not listen to the recipients requests. When it comes to the US Supreme Court, there should be no disregards of the topic. Doctors are being extremely disrespectful in cases such as the Karen Quinlan Case. Her father asked for her to be removed from life support when doctors did not accept the request. "The act of life support isn't really living" said her father, Joesph Quinlan. When certified doctors aren't doing their job of settling the patients needs, it does their reputation no good. Life support placement almost makes the doctors look foolish because it almost says that they have no other way to keep the patient alive. "Thomas' recovery is a medical mystery, her clutches of death was the work of god, not science" recalled Charleston Doctors when one woman was placed on life support after having a double heart attack. Then doctors took her off because of extreme family requests. Life support is doing the patient no justice at all. Doctors are not only not listening to family members when requests are asked of but as well as the patient themselves. If a doctor was in this growing problem they would want to die not be placed on a machine that is doing the slightest bit.

Even family members who have been with the dying patient through thick and thin rather have the sufferer be removed from life support. Family is always meant to do the right thing in every situation that appears. As well as to lend love in times of need. But everything out there has to come to an end. "She's just a vegetable." said a father of a life support patient (Joesph Quinlan). Some recall that after the dying patient hits a point where they reach the vegetative state it is almost helpless to see them in excellent shape ever again. This supports the fact that the existence of life support is almost useless if you want the patient only hanging on by a thin thread. Seeing the member in this shape will make you second guess why they are still sitting in the cold hospital bed. In some cases when a patient has no support of any family members it is up to the court to rule out decisions. "The patient virtually had no hope of recovery." stated the South Korean Supreme Court when an old woman was suffering from a coma after a car crash. In one situation the Massachusetts Court believed "She is not worth keeping alive" when a young girl was beaten by her adoptive mother and stepfather. Even people who don't know the patient closely still believe the removal will be for the best. Even random strangers who would glimpse at a life support patient would probably stir up the same opinion. This shows that family members are not just bias when it comes to life support.

Death is a a clear part of life and isn't meant to be artificially prevented. Placing dying people on life support is reversing the thought all together. "The body dies but in the religious and philosophical traditions the soul continues to live on "states author, DeFrain. If whoever is afraid of the loss at least their ones' soul is there to comfort and warmth you in your time of grief. And if the one in despair is not the religious type, it will be time to stick with the fact that it all has to happen at one time or another. Also according to DeFrain, "Lung machines and other respirators, made it possible for physicians to artificially maintain heart and lung functions, blurring clear signs of an individual's death." This is unfortunately true. With life support even if a patient is at a unbelievably low heart rate it will just cover the signs up unreasonably. This insures nothing but uncomfortable living for the patients. Several writers and publishers including Kaufman, Webb, and Scribner believe "... medical treatment began to override the immediate interests of the dying patient." The interests of a patients should always be placed on top not on the down low or mid section range. This artificiallality is becoming stronger than a simple need of a clear, healthy death.

As a whole, Dying people should not be kept on life support because the effects are unsubstancial. The problem has arised stadily and has gotten out of hand throughout the years. Even though doctors are keeping the patients from dying, their thoughts are steered on the wrong path. Unless you are a selfish person who thinks about themselves before others, dying patients should not be placed on life support in the first place. The artificially of the concept is not reality friendly and it is keeping people from dying in peace and harmony.