One Man's COVID-19 Death Raises The Worst Fears Of Many People With Disabilities

[Nevilledog]

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/31/896882268/one-mans-covid-19-death-raises-the-worst-fears-of-many-people-with-disabilities

What Melissa Hickson says happened to her husband — and what the hospital says — are in conflict.

But this much is for sure: Michael Hickson, a 46-year old quadriplegic who'd contracted COVID-19, died at St. David's South Austin Medical Center in Austin, Texas, on June 11 after the hospital ended treatment for him and moved him from the intensive care unit to hospice care.

Melissa Hickson says her husband was denied potentially lifesaving treatment because doctors at the hospital made a decision based on their biases that, because of his disabilities, Michael Hickson had a low quality of life.

The hospital says it acted based on the man's dire medical prognosis and that it would have been pointless and cruel to give him invasive treatment.

Michael Hickson's death has become a cause among many with disabilities, an emblem of a medical system that they believe views their lives as having less value, even before a pandemic put doctors and hospitals under stress.

*snip*

[lapfog_1]

1. death panels - where is Sarah now?

[2naSalit]

2. And here we are. ...nt

[bobbieinok]

3. Nazis had program to euthanize disabled, mentally incompetant, etcIIRC Catholic cardinal condemned i

I believe the church's condemnation kept their congregants from taking part in the program

That's one reason some contend that if the church ha publically condemned the Holocaust, Catholics would not have taken part

L8kewise if Church had condemned the war

Instead, Pope signed Konkordat with Hitler to protect German Catholics

[bobbieinok]

4. 1963 German author produced play The Deputy, international bombshell about Pope and Nazis

See Wikipedia article about The Deputy and the controversy about its content. Many discussions at google

[crickets]

5. Ugly.

It may be true that sepsis and organ failure were decisive factors that led to a change in care, but the doctor should have said so rather than talking about quality of life. There's also no excuse for taking 12 hours to inform his wife that Michael Hickson had passed away. Both the doctor and the hospital have a lot to answer for.