Question: Mrs. Neil Is A 58-year-old School Teacher. She Had A Stroke Six Weeks Ago That Left Her With Some Severe Deficits. Her Doctor Has Told Her Family That Because Of Her Injury, She Will Not Be Able To Walk On Her Own, Feed Herself, Or Be Independent From Full Assis- Tance For The Rest Of Her Life. Currently, She Is Still In The Hospital And Has Not Communicated…

Mrs. Neil is a 58-year-old school teacher. She had a stroke six weeks ago that left her with some severe deficits. Her doctor has told her family that because of her injury, she will not be able to walk on her own, feed herself, or be independent from full assis- tance for the rest of her life. Currently, she is still in the hospital and has not communicated with her family since her stroke. She is breathing on her own but will most likely experience unpredict- able bouts of respiratory distress for the rest of her life, requiring future mechanical ventilation. She is receiving nutrients through a feeding tube, which has been inserted surgically in her stomach. Her husband wants the doctor to remove the feeding tube and allow the effects of the stroke to take their natural course. He is sure this is what his wife would want, especially given the grim diagnosis. He knows this not only from what she has told him in the past but also because of her free and independent charac- ter. She would not want to live like this. The doctor has told the husband that she does not feel comfortable removing the feeding tube because she believes it is necessary to sustain his wife’s life. Discussion questions. Do you think the husband’s request is reasonable? What do you think about the doctor’s response? If you were the husband, how would you proceed? Do you think you can remove this feeding tube and still honor the sanctity of Mrs. Neil’s life?