Do the Terminally Ill Have a Right to Die?

The true story of Karen Ann Quinlan

Most on this site are familiar with the Terry Schiavo case. However, I doubt that many of you are familiar with the story of Karen Ann Quinlan. Recently while researching this matter more, I came across this true, tragic story. In 1975, 21 year old Karen Ann Quinlan had been found unconscious after consuming lethal amounts of alcohol and drugs. Once she had arrived at the hospital, Quinlan had not had a pulse for about 15 minutes. She was revived and put on a respirator right away, however massive brain damage had already occurred. For over a year, the doctors tried desperately to save her. While she was still “alive”, Quinlan had dropped to about 70 pounds and remained in comatose. She would not speak, hear, or see ever again the doctors had said. Quinlan’s parents visited her every day and realized the hope for a meaningful life had vanished. The family went to court to have their daughter taken off the machines. The family was denied by the NJ Superior Court, so they appealed to the NJ Supreme Court. The court upheld their request and further said that neither the family nor the doctors could be held criminally responsible for Karen Ann Quinlan’s death. The physicians at St Clare’s Hospital were legally forced to remove her from the respirator, but they placed her in a special 24 hour care unit. She received numerous drugs, feeding tube supplements, and massages. Quinlan never emerged from the coma, but did not die either. The family of Karen Ann Quinlan could not bear seeing their daughter’s pain prolonged so they moved her to another facility where the suffering would not be prolonged. She survived another 9 torturous years in which she never once awoke from the coma. Her family had to watch her lie motionless in the fetal position for about ten years. She never once smiled, responded or heard anything her parents said to her. Is this really how you think Karen Ann Quinlan wished to spend 1/3 of her short life? I certainly don’t believe so. All of the machines should have been turned off or Karen Ann Quinlan should have been given one lethal injection to end her terrible suffering and also her family’s. This is a true story and not merely speculative. For this reason it is more valid and easier to see what the consequences of the prolonging of the terminally ill are. Picture a loved one or friend in this case. What would you do? This story can be found in The Right to Die by Elaine Landau.