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People are
familiar with the case of Terry Schiavo – the woman in Florida in a
persistent vegetative state since 1990. She has been kept alive with a
feeding tube. Without the tube, she would die within a few weeks.
Her husband
and parents have been battling in court, in the newspapers and on
television about what each believes Terry did or did not want. There have
been more than 20 court hearings.
Since Terry
was only 26 years old when she suffered the extensive brain damage, she
had not prepared a Health Care Power of Attorney clearly stating her
desires regarding health care.
The Hugh
Finn case (VA) and the Ron Mack case (MD) demonstrate that this is not an
isolated incident. It is important to communicate with your loved ones
about health care issues, preferably through a proper Health Care Power of
Attorney.
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