Students for Life of America

What the Terms Mean

Used with permission from HUMAN LIFE of Washington

Assisted Feeding: Nutrition that is provided with the help of another. This may be spoon-feeding, through a gastrotomy tube, or through a tube into the vein.

Coma: A state of unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be aroused, even by powerful stimulation. This state rarely lasts for more than two to four weeks, by which time the patient either dies or enters into a vegetative state, or regains some form of consciousness.

Competent, incompetent: A reflection of persons ability to make decisions for themselves. For example, a person would be considered incompetent if he is senile, under anesthesia or in a persistent vegetative state.

Euthanasia: The intentional ending of a person’s life, through direct action (called active euthanasia) or by omission (called passive euthanasia) out of motives of mercy.

Persistent Vegetative State: A condition in which the upper portions of the brain are damaged through disease or injury, but the brain stem is normal. Basic body functions such as breathing and digestion occur, and the individual has sleep-wake cycles. But these patients are not attentive, do not speak or have voluntary muscle movement.

Terminal Illness: Traditionally defined as an illness or condition that will cause a person’s death within a relatively short time. Some state courts are expanding the term to include a condition in which death will occur if treatment, including nutrition and hydration, is removed.

Court Rulings on Euthanasia

Used with permission from HUMAN LIFE of Washington

1975- The Karen Ann Quinlan case eased the distinction between the right to choose one’s own death and the right to choose another’s death.

1985- In the case of Claire Conroy the debate moved from removing medical treatment, such as a respirator, to defining food and water as optional treatment instead of basic care.

1986- In California Elizabeth Bouvia, an intelligent, alert woman completely dependent since birth because of Cerebral Palsy, asked for and was granted, by the Court, the right to have the hospital assist her to starve to death comfortably. However after winning in the courts, Ms. Bouvia changed her mind and decided she wanted to continue living.

1987- The New Jersey Supreme Court in the case of Nancy Ellen Jobes set aside the standard of “clear and convincing evidence” of the patient’s wishes, and substituted a standard of “best judgement” from the family. This case changed the focus from the benefit of care for Ms. Jobes to the perceived benefit of life itself as determined by others.

1988- Rhode Island was the first state to hear a food and water case in Federal Court. Marcia Gray’s case was based on the right to privacy arguments first articulated in the 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion case. This established federal precedent for ordering health care providers to actively assist in carrying out a third party’s desire to cause the death of a patient.

1989- The Missouri Supreme Court refused to allow the withdrawal of food and liquids to a severely impaired woman who was not dying.

1993- Criminal Charges were brought against Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who helped an Alzheimer’s victim commit suicide with a machine he invented. The charges were dropped because Michigan law did not specify that facilitating a suicide is criminal.

© Students for Life of America 2007