A Framework for Medical Decision-Making When a Cure is Not Possible
This p ost was original published by Courageous P arents Network on March 2 0, 2 023. This post is my first attempt at distilling into words the medical decision-making framework my husband and I developed during our son Viggo’s life. It was the plane we built while flying at 30,000 feet. I like to think that it actually helped us glide safely to the ground when, at first, it seemed like a crash landing was inevitable. Our guiding principles were twofold: First and foremost, every choice must affirm our son’s dignity and worth as a human being. He was more than a patient, a medical curiosity, or a collection of body systems that could be divided and conquered by an army of subspecialists. He was a beloved son, brother, grandchild, cousin, nephew, neighbor, and member of a community. Second, every choice should minimize avoidable trauma and suffering for Viggo, his siblings, and ourselves. As we understood it, there was a baseline of suffering and ...