'I am willing to give up my ventilator': Woman makes changes to living will amid coronavirus outbre

[babylonsister]

https://www.wesh.com/article/pittsburgh-woman-made-changes-to-living-will-in-event-medical-professionals-must-decide-who-gets-life-saving-equipment/31989167


'I am willing to give up my ventilator': Woman makes changes to living will amid coronavirus outbreak
A retired nurse says she made changes to her living will in case medical professionals have to decide who gets life-saving equipment if more people become sick with COVID-19.
WTAE Updated: 8:06 AM EDT Mar 31, 2020
Marcie Cipriani
Reporter


PITTSBURGH —Darlene Freyer said she is worried that medical professionals may soon have to decide who gets ventilators if more people become sick with COVID-19.

"I am willing to give up my ventilator to someone who still has a life to live," the Pittsburgh-area woman said Monday.

Freyer said she has underlying medical issues and she worries that if she becomes ill, she will be given a ventilator that someone else might need.

"I've lived my life. I'm 65 years old," she said. "I've raised a whole family. I spoke to them about this decision. They respect this decision."

Freyer said she has informed her power of attorney and changed her living will to reflect her decision.

"I don't want to take some college student's ventilator, I don't want to take some young mother with four children's ventilator, I don't want to take a 70-year-old person's ventilator who maybe has a disabled child that they're still caring for. Age doesn't always have to be a factor with this," she said.

Freyer said she hopes her decision will save a life and help health care professionals make otherwise tough decisions.

She said she retired from her career as a nurse six years ago.

"Common sense tells me our medical professionals are going to have to make some very hard decisions choosing who gets the ventilators and who does not," Freyer said. "Why not help our warriors that are on the front line do their job just a little bit easier?"

[Jarqui]

1. Her living will is testimony for why she should have a ventilator.

I ultimately respect her wishes but her wish is pretty moving.

[democrattotheend]

2. I'm 36 and I feel the same way

I don't have any kids yet and may not be able to, and while I would like to think my job is important, it feels irrelevant right now amid this crisis.

My husband says he won't honor my wish because he thinks I'm being overly emotional, that this is fallout from having a miscarriage a few months ago. He said he'd respect a DNR but not a wish to forgo a ventilator. But like this brave woman says, it's not all about age.

I hadn't thought about using a living will to communicate this preference, although if my husband won't give it to the hospital it might be pointless.

[avebury]

3. Give your doctor and lawyer copies of your

living will.