Case Study
Jane, a stunning 27-year-old, has been enjoying the excitement that comes with her prime age. An avid motorsports fan and racer, Jane was successful with a well-paying law career and the handsome young Chad for a prospective husband. One day as Jane and Chad were having a good time in their newly acquired Corvette Stingray racing down the street, Chad lost control of the car and hit a huge tree. Jane had so much trust in the safety properties of the car and Chad’s driving skills to the extent she was not wearing her seatbelt. She sustained a severe spinal cord injury, leaving her paralyzed from the neck down the rest of her body. Only her neck and head could move. Chad sustained minor injuries was discharged two days later. After three years of care, Jane felt she could no longer burden her 75-year old mother who cared for her most of the time as Chad went to work. Besides, the family had begun to face financial constraints. Jane explained the situation to her primary physicians and requested to be euthanized. She explained her request, saying her mother was too old to take care of her, the financial constraints were eating into the family savings without any end in sight, and there was no quality in her life anymore. She strongly warned the physician against mentioning this to the family, adding that it should be discreet and remain between the two. For this, Jane would leave a large portion of her savings to the physicians. The physician did not give Jane a straightforward answer but assured that he would explore all the options and get back to her with a response in one week.
Issues in the Dilemma