13-year old says no to heart transplant surgery

[Roon]

LONDON - Hannah Jones, 13, is not afraid of dying — she is afraid of spending her remaining days in a hospital bed.

In a case that raises a host of medical and ethical issues, the British teenager from a small town northwest of London has won a battle to refuse a heart transplant operation.

That decision by British medical authorities has ignited a debate over whether children should have the right to refuse potentially lifesaving medical treatments or if health authorities have an obligation to intervene.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27665174/

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. 13. Interesting Age...

fucking sad. poor kid.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear Roon...

This is an interesting story, and I think the young lady should be listened to. She's obviously studied the issues carefully, and understands the implications of her decision.

It's her body, and her life.

I hope they honor her wishes.

:hi:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. while I agree that she is of majority age and her wishes should

be respected, I still feel sad about the situation. :(

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. I feel sad too, of course...

Facing that sort of choice at any age is a sad situation...

But much more so for a young person, who hasn't had any real chance at a life yet...

:hug:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

5. yeah...the kids get me...

I can handle a lot but, the kids get me :hug:

[regnaD kciN]

7. Same here...

Whether it's the best decision, or one she should be empowered to make, is irrelevant to the thought that no thirteen-year-old should ever be in a situation where her "best choice" is to accept dying before she's really had a chance to live.

I know, it happens all the time...but that doesn't make it any easier to accept. :cry:

[orleans]

6. i assume my opinion will not be a popular one

but i don't think a 13 year old is mature enough to refuse life-saving treatment.

no no no no no

[regnaD kciN]

8. I don't know if you read the story...

...but her heart problems developed from chemo she received for leukemia at age five. The "life-saving treatment" has a high chance of her dying during the operation...and, even if she survives, there's an equally high chance that it could cause her leukemia to return. The poor kid really has no good option. :-(