MEDTECH LAWS AND BIOETHICS MLS 053

CASE STUDY : EUTHANASIA

ARCOYO, JUNDELLE BEN

TABUGOC, AIZLE GWYNE

VILLAMOR, DHEA

VILLANUEVA, SHAIRELYN

VILLANUEVA, ZHAIMAE

BSMLS 2 - B1
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I: INTRODUCTION

We have come to terms that our life is not forever, that someday we will die, and we
become dust and memories. Despite this knowledge, we often take life for granted, not living as
if each day could be our last. We assume death is only natural and we will pass away peacefully
in our sleep. But what if that routine is suddenly disrupted by the idea of sudden death. A fatal
car crash, news of terminal illness, and the likes that make us feel hopeless in the face of
impending doom. What of those people with terminal illnesses since birth and have not stepped
outside of their own houses or hospital care. Those who didn’t and cannot experience the joys of
life, are they even alive anymore? Can we still call it living? Or are we just prolonging the
inevitable?

It is human instinct to stay fighting until the end, persevere until our last breath, to not
lose hope even if we must endure the hellish torture of feeling our strangled breaths as we wither
away. But anomalies do happen in a system and some people do not want to face death with fear
and terror, some choose to embrace their demise in peace and with a smile. And that takes
another form of bravery as we meet death halfway on our own volition. Our own choice.

Thus, the concept of Euthanasia was born. The word originated from Ancient Greek
“Euthanatos” which means “Easy Death” it is the practice of ending a life to relieve suffering.

This case study will examine the issue of euthanasia in more detail, considering a range
of ethical and legal arguments in order to gain a better understanding of the key issues
surrounding it. In particular, this case study will focus on the situation of a terminally ill patient
who wishes to end their life by using euthanasia, and the potential implications this has for
family members, healthcare professionals and society as a whole. In order to better understand
the complexities surrounding this issue, this case study will draw upon several real-life examples
of euthanasia, in addition to exploring alternative options for those who cannot commit to
euthanasia.
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II: BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Jam Vhille Fernando Sebastian, better known as Jam Sebastian, was a Filipino actor and
internet sensation together with Paolinne Michelle Liggayu or known as Mich Liggayu, in a love
team called JaMich. It was 2011 when their “By Chance'' short film went viral, which served as a
catalyst towards their career in the entertainment industry. Since then, many national shows have
invited them as guests to share their love story. They were dubbed as one of Youtube’s most
popular love teams by 2011 and starred in various music videos and films. With a successful
career, the love of his life by his side, the support of their parents and millions of admirers, and
nothing but a bright future ahead of them, people would anticipate that they would be enjoying
their success at that point in their lives. No one would suspect that Jam has already gone through
multiple trips to the hospital and that such tragedy is already coming. And by January 2014, Jam
was diagnosed with Lung cancer.

Jam doesn’t have any vices and bad habits that could potentially lead him to develop such
a terminal disease. Jam couldn’t believe it at first. He eventually let his girlfriend and his family
know about the diagnosis on Mich’s birthday on March 17. Despite the unfortunate news, the
two grew even closer, with Mich providing Jam with love and encouragement to stay hopeful.

In January 2015, Jam's health deteriorated drastically and he was admitted to the hospital.
It was there that he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer. During his stay, it was noted that
he refused to undergo Chemotherapy, Blood Pressure, and Vital Signs checks, as well as
Dextrose. His brother also added that he was unable to tolerate even the sensation of air
conditioning due to the pain it caused. Jam's condition had weakened considerably as he fought
cancer, and the pain he felt was unbearable.

Sometime before January 31, he sent a text message to his family. It was a plea for them
to end his suffering and consider Mercy Killing. A message to his mom in particular was about
how he is so tired and wants to be put at rest.
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“As a mother, I would give you all that you wish and ask for, but this time, I can’t. You
say you give up? If you are suffering, then I am suffering more. I didn’t stop praying for you to
get well my son. Don’t give up because we love you so much,” Jam’s mother shared.

Jam’s family and girlfriend were by his side 24/7 and by February 26, Jam’s condition
was critical and was put on life support. And on March 4, Jam Sebastian, a boy with a bright
future ahead, a boy with hopes and dreams, a boy who loves and cares with all his might. A boy
who was suffering for quite some time now, a boy who wanted to end it all, is now laid to rest.

There is no greater pain than a parent outliving their child and there are no words to
describe the pain from watching your other half wither and die. At last, he’s at peace, at last he’s
in the hands of the almighty, people might say that is a way to comfort ourselves. For a while
people cried and grieved, for a long while people have been picking lost pieces of themselves,
and after a while people were beginning to laugh and enjoy their moment in this world. The
brush with the cold death made us realize how fickle our lives are and how instead of grieving it
calls for a celebration.

Jam Sebastian tragically passed away at age 29, his impact on being an internet sensation
will remain for years to come. He will not be forgotten.
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III: PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

Unfortunately, there are people out there who are suffering from a long-term illness or
injury and find death to be their ultimate solution. They are in so much pain, misery, and
suffering that they no longer find their quality of life to be acceptable.

They cannot do the things that once brought them joy, they cannot even do the most basic
things such as moving their hands and walking. They are deprived of activity and companionship
that they would rather be dead as with the way they are now is not living.

The news of Jam Sebastian and his plea for Mercy Killing was a shock to the dominantly
Christian views of the Philippines. For some of us, we just discovered the word and the weight
that it brings. It may also awaken some moral crisis in all of us, do we wait and prolong his
agony even though we know that only death awaits him, or do we cut his life short so that this
person won’t be suffering any longer than we are.

“One should have the right to self-determination, and thus we should be allowed to
choose our fate” This is the perspective of a person in support of Euthanasia.

There are different kinds of Euthanasia that will all eventually lead to death but has
different ways in approaching it. What we might think of when we hear or read the word
“Euthanasia” is “Active Euthanasia, when a person directly and deliberately causes the patient’s
death, like giving someone painless poison so that the patient may die. While there is also
Passive Euthanasia, when death is brought about by an omission, like when someone turns off
the life support machine so that the patient may die (life support is discontinued). The other form
of passive euthanasia is withholding life support, this depends on the choice of the patient and
happens when the patient is still in full control of his or her cognitive function, given that the
patient has signed an advance directive.
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In Jam’s case, Euthanasia is clearly voluntary as he, a dying person, made the request.
But this is disapproved by his family who clearly wants him to keep fighting, not to mention.
Euthanasia of any kind is prohibited and illegal in the Philippines, thus he is forced out to live his
days in agony.

The author proposes that in the case of Jam Sebastian with his full consent and the law by
his side, he should be able to access this kind of service and be given Indirect Euthanasia. It is
allowing death to occur with a direct link between action, intent, and result. Defined as the use of
means to relieve suffering (e.g. morphine) which may have the secondary effect of shortening
life. The possibility that death might occur earlier than it would otherwise have done is taken into
account. In short, Indirect Euthanasia means that providing treatment to reduce the pain of the
patient has a side effect of speeding the patient’s death. This treatment would help Jam alleviate
his pain all the while granting his wish of passing away.

Jam’s case is heartbreaking that we couldn’t even imagine what we will do when faced
with such a decision, but we are not prolonging his life by restricting access to this health care
but rather prolonging his death. We get to watch him wither and suffer as he blames himself for
any incapabilities and being a burden to his loved ones. We get to watch him in pain by just the
lightest touch and the breeze.

People shouldn’t be forced to suffer through a debilitating disease any more than they
should be wanting to die.
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IV: RECOMMENDATIONS

Many individuals are drawn to Euthanasia due to their fear of the pain caused by their
ailment, the poor standard of living they are experiencing, and the trouble they may cause their
loved ones when it comes to caring for them. As an alternative, the author suggests that Hospice
and Palliative care should be explored as an option to relieve the suffering of the patient.

Hospice Care means compassionate comfort care without curative care, meaning that the
patient no longer has a chance to be cured or has chosen not to pursue treatment albeit for
personal reasons of that the side effects of medication and treatment outweigh the benefits.
That’s why we typically associate the word Hospice with old people, as this is the kind of care
they receive when they don’t want to burden their children.

Meanwhile Palliative Care is compassionate comfort care with curative intent and
provides relief from the symptoms and physical and mental stress of a terminal or serious illness.
This typically happens in a hospital as the doctor and the nurse need to monitor the condition of
the patient daily to track any development of the sickness.

Both objectives of Hospice and Palliative care is to alleviate pain and provide symptom
relief as well as reduce stress brought on by the illness as well as Physical and Psychosocial
relief.

Hospice and Palliative care can manage pain and other unpleasant symptoms, provide
in-home support services such as a home health aide, and keep the patient in the surroundings
that support their quality of life. Patients in good environment hospitals and centers say have
never felt better, because their stressors are minimized by their management by an
interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, health aides, etc. and their symptoms are well
controlled, despite having a terminal illness.
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V: SUMMARY

The term Euthanasia originated from Ancient Greek “Euthanatos” which means “Easy
Death”. It’s current term maybe known as “Assisted suicide” or “Mercy Killing”, in the modern
sense of the word, it is the practice of ending a life to relieve suffering. This is typically done
because the patient is suffering because of some terminal illness. It could be that the pain is too
much for them to bear, they lead a poor quality of life such as being unable to do the things they
want to do or don’t want to burden their family with taking care of them or prolonging their grief
any longer.

This is the case with Jam Sebastian, he was with Stage 4 Lung Cancer and expressed his
interest in Euthanizing himself as the pain was too unbearable, but his family disapproved of this
and wanted him to keep fighting until the very end. A few weeks later he was put on life support
and a few days later, he was proclaimed dead.

This intent of this has introduced the concept of Euthanasia in modern media and has
sparked a discussion about his condition and if similar patients would express the same intent
what should be done about it?

From an ethical standpoint, euthanasia is often seen as an act of mercy. It is argued that it
can be used to end the suffering of patients who are terminally ill, or who are in great pain, and
that it can provide a dignified death. However, some opponents of euthanasia argue that it is
morally wrong to take a human life, regardless of the circumstances, and that it is up to the
patient to make the decision about their own life and death.

And from a legal perspective, euthanasia is a complex issue. In most countries, it is illegal to
perform euthanasia, and in some countries, it is considered to be a form of murder. In addition,
many countries have complex laws relating to end-of-life decisions, and the legal implications of
euthanasia can be very complicated
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Since the Philippines is a predominantly Christian country, most of the public has expressed
their disapproval about this concept but some select few argued with very fine points why it’s
time for Euthanasia to be accepted as part of the medical care in the Philippines.

The author advocates for the legalization of Euthanasia, however, with stringent
regulations. There has to be careful consideration of possible medical abuse or any abuse in
general so that it does not cross the line of murder and homicide. When the law is established
and the people would be open to the idea of Euthanasia, it could potentially save the lives of
other people by donating healthy organs to them. Adhering to the right to live and the right to die
of the people.

But for some who aren't very comfortable with the idea of meeting with death halfway
there is also more acceptable ways to alleviate overall pain and stress from a terminal illness
which is Hospice and Palliative Care.