Life Support

[Iccarra]

I heard about this on the radio yesterday morning.

Life Support

[Eziekial]

Sounds like a couple Jews are looking for a golden ticket.

[Kramer]

that must be awful for a family to go through

[Iccarra]

I'm sure it's one of the most heart-wrenching decisions to make, regardless of what your religious beliefs are. I couldn't truly imagine what it would be like to have to make that kind of decision were it one of my own children. Several years ago one of my nieces was critically injured in a car accident and placed on life support for some time before it was determined that she would not be able to survive without it.

For me personally, I would not wish to continue "living" on life support indefinitely. I think that once my body and/or brain function gives out then it's my time to go.

[Eziekial]

I'm not so sure about how "heart wrenching" this is for the family considering they haven't bothered to visit him since July once they got into a legal fight with the hospital.

[Gypsiyee]

yeah, that was what stuck out to me too.

like, how are you supposed to have respect for this huge moral and religious obligation when they're not even taking 5 minutes to go visit the kid in the hospital?

they just sound like whackjobs doing stupid shit for media attention in the name of God.

[Harrison]

I don't know. I can say from my point of view specifically that they might have their reasons for not visiting.

I went and saw my grandfather once when he got sick. I couldn't bear to go anymore after that. I just couldn't take it.

When he died earlier this year I held that against myself for a long time, and still do.

So I certainly wouldn't use that as any measurement of love nor care.

[Gypsiyee]

you might not be happy with me after this post, and that's okay because I don't mean it to be personal at all - but I have to respectfully agree to disagree.

On the first count, they're two completely different situations. A grandfather is not a son, especially a son who is still a child. A grandfather is grown, has lived his life in its entirety, and has had the capability and the time to embrace his end. You did not raise your grandfather and give him life. The bond between parent and child should be unmistakable and cannot be compared to any other relationship. A child is alone in the world when it comes understanding death. Parents are a child's strength in times of turmoil. A parent not visiting their dying child is highly disturbing.

This is the part you won't like, but I'm guilty of it myself - I didn't visit my gramma as often as I should've when she was in the hospital, either. It's not that I didn't love her, I love her very, very much. We were very close. But I was selfish - visiting her sick was awkward and uncomfortable, and I simply didn't want to be around it. I selfishly wanted to remember her another way. She was old and dying, and that's not the gramma I knew or wanted to know. I visited her, but only as much as I felt she needed rather than as much as I should've. I wish I would've spent more time with her, but this is almost always how it goes with grandparents. I'd wager more often than not, people are like you and me and don't see their grandparents enough before they die.

A child is another story. Your child is another story. There is no room for selfishness concerning your child and their untimely death. We forgive ourselves our grandparents because we expect to bury them - this is pretty normal, and almost always how it works out. To seldom see your grandparent is unfortunate, but not so despicable as not seeing your own child.

It is the worst thing to ever have to do to bury your own child; to deprive them of the only support and love they will have in the hospital after such a short life is every bit an indication of how you care for them.

[Iccarra]

Another interesting thing that caught my eye is that to keep his body alive is a religious obligation.

I did also notice that they had not been to visit him in the Washington hospital since July. They live in New York and if I recall in another story about this it mentioned that this boy is one of 7 children...it may have some bearing on the why's. I'm certainly not condoning them not being there the entire time but this very well could be a big factor.

I've never heard of a story like this before so it will be interesting to know what transpires.