In 2005, the story of Terry Schiavo was heard around the world. Terry was a perfectly healthy normal adult woman until 1990. During this fateful year, Terry collapsed near her apartment home and was left without oxygen for several minutes. The results were tragic: Terry suffered from severe brain damage, and was left in a permanent vegetative state. She was in this state until the year 2005, when after years of legal wrangling her husband finally won the legal battle to remove her from life support. However, the question must be asked: were these her wishes? Her husband said yes while her parents said no. If Terry had a living will, there would be no question what the answer would have been.
A living will is a legal document that is designed to provide specific instructions to medical providers as well as loved ones. These wills can be as specific or as vague as the writer would like. For instance, a living will can specify that you will not take blood transfusions for religious reasons. You might not want to undergo extensive surgery if you were on your deathbed. A living will can also specify that you do not wish to be resuscitated if your heart were to stop on the operating table. In Terry’s case, a living will could specify whether or not you wish to be put in a permanent vegetative state.
However, living wills are not without their opponents. One excellent counter-point to the living will is they often contradict with sound medical advice. In a life or death situation, is it right that a person is let to die when they could be saved by a simple procedure such as a blood transfusion? The living will begins to encroach on moral and ethical dilemmas, so it’s no wonder that they would cause to much controversy. President Obama shocked the world in the middle of 2009 when he announced that he had a living will. He goes on record as saying he “actually think[s] it’s a good idea to have a living will. I’d encourage everybody to get one.”.
The requirements for a living will vary state by state, so you may wish to consult a lawyer to get one drafted. Many lawyers who specialize in estate planning will do living wills as well. If you are serious about protecting your medical desires should you become incapacitated, a living will can provide you that peace of mind.
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