Sbusa’s Weblog

     Someone in class the other day said that the parents in the “Ethics in America II” seminar were being selfish when they refused to give their baby, who had severe brain damage but could see, feel, and hear, a surgery that she needed in order to live.  There is the doctor’s concerns that the parents see this child as a burden, as she will most likely never talk or get out of diapers.  In this case, the parents not wanting to deal with the hassle of raising such a child is stripping the baby of her rights.  The baby has the right to live, and now that this child has the ability to suffer, the doctors and lawyers can now consider what is in her best interests.  The case was that the baby will see, hear, learn, and recognize caregivers, but nothing more.  Were the parents being selfish?

If the parents are merely not wanting the burden of this child in their lives, then yes, I would consider them selfish in thinking only of their own best interests.  But the case was that these parents had been trying to have a baby for a long time, so it’s more likely that they wouldn’t be picky about their child’s health.  I think that more often deciding to allow your child to die when he or she is in such a state is based on the life the child would have otherwise.  If it were me, I couldn’t bear it.   If this were my child, and I was choosing to not have the surgery, that decision would be made out of the baby’s best interests.  Sure, not having the surgery would cause the child to suffer and eventually die, but I would rather that than have her live her life in a hospital bed, never being able to mature,  to go to school, to make friends, to have a family and a job and a life.  This baby might not even be able to talk or leave diapers, and if she does her life is still strictly limited.  That is not a life that I would ever wish on anyone, especially my own daughter.  The decision to allow the child to die, even if she suffers, is in my opinion in her best interests, and therefore not selfish.