family to make the decision to let their loved one live? It is too easy to let other motives influence that type of decision. The family very well could decide on the life of their loved one based on the burden of doctor bills or even the need for the inheritance instead of the well being of their beloved. It is also shown that "80% of relatives preferred to have their terminally ill loved ones die in the hospital, while 80% of dying persons...said they would prefer to die at home" (Barnard 21). The patient wants to spend his last times happily at his home while the family wants the best care at the hospital readily available.In many cases, some believe when the patient decides for himself to be euthanized that he/she doesn't really want to die. Patients who are seriously ill can become extremely depressed and say they want to die. Psychologists believe that the patients are no different from "normal" suicidal people but with the addition of their medical problems. Psychologists also have found that when patients talk suicide that they really only want the attention and support of their family (Peck 190). Who is to say that a terminally ill patient is really wanting to be released from his body or that his family has the best intentions at heart when they tell the doctor to "pull the plug?"According to the Hippocratic Oath, doctors are obligated to preserve life and relieve suffering. Many doctors, however, see a contradiction in these responsibilities. If a person is suffering terribly and has no hope of recovering, should his death still be postponed as long as possible? In many cases, it is impossible to relieve suffering while preserving life. With our medical advances, we can delay death even long after the brain stops functioning. Is it right to use our technology to keep a person alive as long as possible even if he can't tolerate the anguish? (Trubo 57). Christiaan Barnard tells us that, "The Brain is the organ th...
