pre7117 0 #1 November 8, 2005 I have a friend with a 3 month old baby. Last night the baby stopped breathing and it took the ambulance about 10 minutes to get to the house. They got the baby stable but when they got to the hospital they where told that the baby had no brain function. They kept the child on life support until this morning and they pulled the plug. They where told that he would be a vegetable if they kept him on life support. I have 2 children myself and I was thinking if I had to do it could I? I dont think I could do it. Am I wrong or is the baby better off than being a vegetable all its life or maybe it would have got better?HELLFISH 429 POPS 11113 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
windcatcher 0 #2 November 8, 2005 SC Mother to the cutest little thing in the world... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Broke 0 #3 November 8, 2005 As an EMT who has transported many many patients with both feet in the grave and yet they still have a pulse. I would have to say that letting go is one of the most important things to relieve yourself of the burden. Any indivudual with no brane function has no quality of life whatsoever. It also costs a lot of money to keep someone in a skilled care facility on a vent and one tube feeding. This is not the way that any body should have to grow up. Medical Science would probibly be able to keep that body alive for 100 years or more. It is not fair to the taxpayers to ultimately burden the cost of this individual as well as the emotional burden to the family members. Now as a father I am not sure what I would do in this situation. Before I had children I could never imagine what life would be like with them, and now I would not want to imagine what life would be like without them.Divot your source for all things Hillbilly. Anvil Brother 84 SCR 14192 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ReBirth 0 #4 November 8, 2005 Totally individual call. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pre7117 0 #5 November 8, 2005 I think that the call was rushed. They pulled the plug in less than 12 hours. Maybe things would have changedHELLFISH 429 POPS 11113 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
missg8tordivr 0 #6 November 8, 2005 QuoteI have a friend with a 3 month old baby. Last night the baby stopped breathing and it took the ambulance about 10 minutes to get to the house. They got the baby stable but when they got to the hospital they where told that the baby had no brain function. They kept the child on life support until this morning and they pulled the plug. They where told that he would be a vegetable if they kept him on life support. I have 2 children myself and I was thinking if I had to do it could I? I dont think I could do it. Am I wrong or is the baby better off than being a vegetable all its life or maybe it would have got better? No brain function, no learning, no life. Bodies can be kept alive with just brain stem action, but that part of the brain only controls involentary functions such as breathing,heart beat, blinking...etc.*** F LORIDA! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VanillaSkyGirl 6 #7 November 8, 2005 First, what a horrible situation for your friends to be going through. Hopefully, they have enough love and support from their loved ones to be able to make it through this difficult time. Many prayers to the family. Second, it's impossible to know how one would react when faced with such a difficult and heartbreaking/painful decision. It sounds like these friends of yours are damned if they do and damned if they don't. They did what they felt was right. It's not fair to judge or to criticize them for what they had to do. Either way, it sounds like a parents' worst nightmare. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,465 #8 November 8, 2005 my logical reaction says one thing, my parental instinct says another...I hope to never be in that situation, sicne I have no clue what I would do.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildcard451 0 #9 November 8, 2005 No brain function... *sigh* They did a beautiful thing by pulling the plug. I appluad them for a truly difficult decision. Too often family members cling to the shell of a loved one long after it is merely a body left behind and kept alive by the will of man alone. There would have been no joy for that "child" ever again, and no joy for the parents for the rest of their life. Their time and energy is much better spent recovering from this tragedy, and going on in life to use the love beteen them to bring another life into this world. That's just my opinion, but hey, what do I know? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyangel2 2 #10 November 8, 2005 I've had to make that decision. It’s very painful. Remember to just be there and show support to your friends, no matter what you think.May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tigra 0 #11 November 8, 2005 Its not murder. Its a very difficult decision to make and your friends are in a lot of pain right now. I understand how you feel, but were you there at the hospital with them? Its not a reccommendation that is made lightly, and I'm sure there was overwhelming medical evidence that the baby's condition was not reversible. In spite of your own personal feelings you need to not judge them right now, just be there for them and support them as well as you can. And hug your own kids and be thankful you still have them! Peace to you and your friends- what a horrible thing to have to go through! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
socr4life22 0 #12 November 8, 2005 Personly for me the quality of life is no more and it is better to let go.... that being said this is why it is important to have a living will. If you want to be kept alive you can be but if you do not have a living will anything can happen. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tigra 0 #13 November 8, 2005 I agree, but we're also taking about a 3 month old baby. Its one thing to make that decision for yourself, quite another to have to make it for someone else, and for your infant? I can't imagine anything more difficult. The instinct has to be to hold on to hope, right? So, I totally understand where the orginal post is coming from. When faced with something like that, I can only hope I would be strong enough to make the right decision. And if I made an unpopular choice, I would hope that my friends and family would still love and support me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ladyskydiver 0 #14 November 9, 2005 QuoteNo brain function... *sigh* They did a beautiful thing by pulling the plug. I appluad them for a truly difficult decision. Too often family members cling to the shell of a loved one long after it is merely a body left behind and kept alive by the will of man alone. There would have been no joy for that "child" ever again, and no joy for the parents for the rest of their life. Their time and energy is much better spent recovering from this tragedy, and going on in life to use the love beteen them to bring another life into this world. That's just my opinion, but hey, what do I know? Your opinion is shared. pre7117, My condolences to your friends. Losing a child is one of the hardest things to deal with as a parent. Be there for your friends to lean on. They may not know how to lean on you or even what to say or do, but just the knowledge that you are there for them is something that will help them get through the upcoming times. Drag them out to dinner, a comedy, anything that lets them know they are not alone. Help them laugh...allow them to cry.Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
