The Right to Life: A Controversial Topic Addressed in Ethics Course

By: Elizabeth Bartek
Posted In: News

Decisions with Regard to Ending Life. That is how it’s phrased in Dr. Cowdin’s syllabus for his “Christian Ethics and Biomedical Issues” class. And for a few weeks at the beginning of the semester, the class held discussions regarding such issues. One issue in particular, the recent Terri Schiavo case in Florida, aided such discussions in the class. Despite Salve Regina University being a Catholic institution, the discussion was not as controversial as one might imagine.

The controversy discussed in the class was the case of Terri Schiavo, who has been kept alive with a feeding tube. Thirteen years ago, Schiavo had a heart attack due to what doctors believe was a potassium deficiency. Her body suffered major damage when her brain was deprived of oxygen. Schiavo has been in a vegetative state ever since. She cannot speak, feed herself or control her bowel movements, and has been in a hospice outside of Tampa, Florida, for years.

Terri Schiavo’s husband, Michael Schiavo, says his wife would not want to live like this, and wishes for the feeding tube to be removed. Once it is removed, doctors believe she will die shortly thereafter, about six to ten days later.

Her parents, though, Bob and Mary Schindler, argue that with the proper rehabilitation, their daughter can make small recoveries and at some point, would be able to feed herself. Doctors disagree, as Terri has made little improvement in the past 13 years. She has remained in a vegetative state and will most likely do so indefinitely.

From a Catholic perspective, it’s the “indefinitely” part that aids in the decision making. According to Dr. Cowdin, “Generally the church approves the removal of the life support in extraordinary cases,” he said.

Cowdin went on to say that this case could be considered extraordinary. Extraordinary cases include those in which there is no hope for a cure and when the cost of the extension of life becomes exceptional.

“Can she give or receive love?” Cowdin pondered. “She isn’t really capable of either.”

Cowdin explained that within the Catholic church, the discussion of feeding tubes is more controversial than the ventilator, another means of life support. The ventilator is not questionable. It keeps a person alive who would not usually be. The feeding tube, on the other hand, provides a basic human need, which no one should deny another human being.

At this point in the case, a University of South Florida professor, Jay Wolfson, has been appointed to independently investigate the case and is now considered Terri Schiavo’s guardian. Gov. Jeb Bush has also been involved in the case. He passed an executive order requiring the feeding tube to be reinserted at the request of Schiavo’s parents, after a court ruled the tube was to be removed. Schiavo was off the feeding tube for six days.

Though some consider the removal of the feeding tube to be inhumane, others believe it inhumane to keep Terri Schaivo alive, as it may prolong suffering. This was the viewpoint of many of the students in Cowdin’s class, and of the professor himself.

“I side with the husband,” he said. “I feel the feeding tube should be removed.”

That will now be the decision that Wolfson will have to make. Wolfson is to report to Gov. Bush in 30 days on whether Schaivo can be rehabilitated.