The Right to Die

A difficult problem that is facing society is euthanasia, another word for mercy killing. Thousands of young people are mortally ill because of incurable disease. They are all kept alive in artificial ways. They have no chance to recover completely, but most of the legal systems do not allow doctors to end their lives. However, fatally ill patients should be allowed to die for several reasons.


The first reason is that medical costs are very high. The cost of a hospital room can be as much as a hundred dollars per day and even more. The costs of medicines and medical tests are also high. The family of the patient is responsible for these expenses. Consequently, they would be a terrible financial burden for them for a long time.


The second reason is that the family suffers. The nurses can only give the terminally ill patient minimum care. The family must spend time to care for the special needs of their loved one. They should talk, touch, and hold the patient even though he or she may be in a coma. For example, Karen Quinlan’s parents visited her every day even though she was unable to speak or to see. Also, it is very difficult to watch a loved one in a coma because his or her condition does not improve.


The third and most important reason is that the patients have no chance of recovery. They can never lead normal lives and must be kept alive by life-support machines. They may need a machine to breathe and a feeding tube to take in food. They are more dead than alive and will never get better. For example, in 1975, Karen Quinlan became unconscious after the she swallowed some drugs and drank alcohol. She was kept alive by machines. Her parents knew that her body and brain would never be normal.


Therefore, they asked the court to allow their daughter to die. The judge agreed, and Karen’s breathing machine was turned off. She was able to breathe on her own, but she died nine years later in June of 1985.


In conclusion, because terminally ill patients have no chance to live normal lives, they should be allowed to die with dignity. Therefore, the family should have the right to ask to turn off the life-support machines or to stop further medical treatment.


Please answer the following questions based on the text above!
a. Who are kept alive in artificial ways?

b. What are the reasons why patients are allowed to die?

c. How much is probably the cost of a hospital room for 3 (three) days?

d. Who should mostly take care of the terminally ill patient?

e. Why does the text mention Karen Quinlan in Paragraph 3?

f. What is the function of life-support machine?

g. Why was Karen’s breathing machine turned off?