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Is This Life Worth Living?
| Length: | 30 min |
| Released: | 1989 |
| Ages: |
College Adult |
Buy Online Streaming
Through the personal experiences of three families, this documentary explores the ethical issues involved in sustaining the life of a severely brain damaged or comatose patient. It explores the plight of Patricia Brophy, who fought a legal battle for permission to remove her husband's feeding tube after he lapsed into a vegetative state.
Then we meet the Barashes, who are emotionally and financially exhausted from caring for their helpless 12-year-old son. He was saved by heroic measures at birth, despite their wishes to the contrary. For another point of view we meet the Micros who will not give up on their brain damaged son after an accident in the Marine Corps.
Our society is reluctantly allowing a mentally competent person to refuse life-lengthening measures. Who then should make that decision when the individual is mentally incompetent or an infant?
Then we meet the Barashes, who are emotionally and financially exhausted from caring for their helpless 12-year-old son. He was saved by heroic measures at birth, despite their wishes to the contrary. For another point of view we meet the Micros who will not give up on their brain damaged son after an accident in the Marine Corps.
Our society is reluctantly allowing a mentally competent person to refuse life-lengthening measures. Who then should make that decision when the individual is mentally incompetent or an infant?
"The documentary is provocative and can serve as an ideal prelude for discussions and seminars relative to such topics as death and dying, euthanasia, medical ethics, hospital law, philosophy..." - The Gerontologist
"This is a challenging exploration of this issue that will stimulate useful discussion among interested persons regardless of their personal stance on the right to live/right to die controversy." - Landers Film Reviews
"This is a challenging exploration of this issue that will stimulate useful discussion among interested persons regardless of their personal stance on the right to live/right to die controversy." - Landers Film Reviews
American Public Health Association, 1988
Honorable Mention, American Journal of Nursing Festival, 1988
Honorable Mention, American Journal of Nursing Festival, 1988
