Case Study: Dax’s Case
Dax Cowart
Watch thE video clip BELOW from the documentary Dax’s Case, regarding the case of Dax Cowart, a man who at the age of 25 years old, suffered extensive burns to his face, eyes, ears, and hands and was forced to undergo treatment against his wishes.
Choosing Death
Dax would rather have died, due to the pain incurred in the course of the treatments he was subject to, and due to a perceived poor quality of life even upon full recovery.
The Ends Don’t Justify the Means
Read this Washington Post article including an interview with Dax Cowart 10 years after the accident, addressing how the ends don’t justify the means: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1983/06/26/a-happy-life-afterward-doesnt-make-up-for-torture/ab680b30-237b-4b7a-b6da-1f7ab3da9208/
The irony of the year 1973 in this case. (which is when Dax fell victim to the gas explosion) is that it is the same year that the American Medical Association endorsed the right of a competent patient to choose to forgo life-sustaining treatment.
This article specifically discusses the case of an elderly gentleman with end-stage congestive heart failure who is requesting that his left ventricular assist device (LVAD) be turned off due to further decline in his quality of life since device implantation, something his doctor opposes because he sees it as akin to committing murder (as the patient would die within minutes of turning off the device).
References:
Alexander Street, a ProQuest Company. (2016, March 12). Dax’s Case. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3ZnFJGmoq8
Engel, M. (1983, June 26). A Happy Life Afterward Doesn’t Make Up for Torture. The Washington Post. Also Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1983/06/26/a-happy-life-afterward-doesnt-make-up-for-torture/ab680b30-237b-4b7a-b6da-1f7ab3da9208/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.de613ae6034d
Murphy, B. (2017, September 18). Now hear this: Podcasts used to advance medical ethics education. Retrieved from https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/ethics/now-hear-podcasts-used-advance-medical-ethics-education