Monday, April 19, 2010

Euthanizing Children in the US – Yes, it’s Here

The latest edition of a prestigious medical journal, The Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, has published a very disturbing piece of research. While the study is very small, the fact that it was done at all suggests that there might be a larger problem across the country: Euthanizing children right here in the US.

The study, of course, doesn’t talk about euthanasia. Here’s the title: “Considerations About Hastening Death Among Parents of Children Who Die of Cancer.”

I see. It’s not euthanasia, it’s hastening death. Sounds so much more, well, clinical, don’t you think?

Essentially, the researchers wanted to know, in terms of actual cases and presented possible scenarios, what parents’ attitudes were toward euthanasia when a child was terminally ill with cancer. No surprise, the more the actual case or scenario involved high levels of pain and suffering, the more likely parents were to consider euthanasia

Sorry, I meant “hastening death.”

Now, if the study only used contrived scenarios, the findings would be important, because they show, among other things, that parents are ignorant of palliative measures that can make terminally ill children comfortable in their final days.

However, among parents interviewed who literally had terminally ill children with cancer, there were several who actually discussed euthanasia for their child with their doctor, and, in three instances, where parents reported that the euthanasia was carried out.

Frightening, and even more so when you consider how small the study was.

And, it’s absolutely probable that if it‘s happening in the two hospitals covered by the study, it’s going on all over the country behind closed doors after whispered conversations.

Killing children because the are sick.

Here in these United States.

This is how things started in the Netherlands.

Let’s so all we can to make sure it doesn’t happen here.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I don't understand people anymore! Our children are blessings from God and to talk about ending their life so you as the parent don't see them suffer. I wonder if they would ever consider asking the child that is dying, "Sweetie,because I don't want to see you suffer anymore,is it okay if we kill you a head of time?" People,WAKE UP!!!! These are your children!! Trust in God to help you with your child's pain and with your grief as well.

Dr. Mark Mostert said...

Natasha, thanks for stopping by - you are absolutely right, things are a mess. Please pass on the blog so that more people will become aware of the evil sweeping across the land.

Anonymous said...

"Death Hastening" occurs in this country every day in my best estimate, at 1000s of times per day. In many cases the family's wish has nothing to do with it. If the patient and family do not wish euthanasia, then the nurses and doctors device a way to implicate it without the family realizing it. I am talking first hand. I have witnessed this myself. Of even more concern to me than this is the brain washing of people into thinking they are invaluable unless they are 'productive' or potentially producitive to the society. People are buying into this idea and wish to be euthanized because they have been lead to believe they are only valuable they are 'accomplishing' something for the rest of the society. The idea is Marxist. We are in trouble, big trouble.

Anonymous said...

I am really concerned about how Dr. Mostert generalizes and throws around terms without defining them. He refers to unknown specific instances and generalizes them to an entire society. His conclusions are based on a political agenda and have nothing whatsoever to do with medical statistics or reality. He condemns all nurses, physicians and health practitioners. This is obscene. He does not define what he means by euthanasia or palliative measures. Sometimes there is a fine line here and Dr. Mostert does not address the differences. All he is doing is spreading fear and paranoia. I feel fearful that there are people out there who choose to twist the truth for political objectives.

NOLASUSAN said...

Oh, for God's sake, let people die with dignity. What is so wrong with that? Or, poke them, prod them, hurt them with hundreds of tests, prolong the inevitable - death.

Face it. We are all going to die. Why not let people die in peace instead of the way they do it now. Withhold food and water for days? How horrible is that?

I support the choice to die. And, I support the choice of ANY parent who doesn't wish to see their child go through the torture of what goes on in the money making medical industry today.

Nolasusan