A turning point
I've just had my first experience of knowing that I had hurt someone for publishing something quickly, without due consideration of the gravity of the situation. My previous post on Charlotte Wyatt has been read by Charlotte's parents. I know this because they've published a link to my site on their own blog, http://www.charlottewyatt.blogspot.com/. They also make the point, that Charlotte's life is hardly a matter of "philosophical subtleties" for them, it's her life that matters. That comment really struck me. I don't quite know how I feel, but I don't really think that's relevant.
I thought I had better try and examine my own view, now that things are slightly more in perspective. I believe the main reason why I used Charlotte as an example, was that I was thinking of her as Baby X, with conditions Y and Z, rather than Baby Charlotte Wyatt. I thought of her less as an individual and more as an object of philosophical speculation. That thought really gnaws at me now. I had absolutely no idea that my blog of 2 visits per day would be visited by the Wyatts, but it wasn't outside the realm of possibility (it happened!). Therefore, I don't think commenting on a case like is a prudent move and I sincerely apologize for my arrogance and insensitivity.
Nevertheless, I don't think my moral viewpoint has changed objectively. Generalising, if I were asked whether I think a baby (my objectified Baby X) who really is in utter agony her whole life, blind and deaf, I think her life should be discontinued. Because her life will only be lived in pain, she will never know her parents or anything of the outside world, we would be condemning her to something equivalent to perpetual torture. Therefore Charlotte really is like my "Baby X", in that she is living a life of agony, then I don't think that her life should be continued.
That said, from the what I have read of the Wyatt's website, it seems clear that they believe she has a real chance at recovery. Therefore, if this belief is justified, I support their call for resuscitation to continue.
posted by T at 11:25 pm
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Permalink http://procrastinatehere.blogspot.com/2005/08/turning-point.html
2 Comments:
Hey
Nice apology, I just wanted to point out, Charlotte is not considered to be in any pain, by her parents, or by even the least pro-life of doctors treating her. She is profoundly disabled, and medically fragile, but she's not living in agony, she's getting stronger and more active by the day.
The argument from the do-not-resuscitate point of view is that they're saying that IF she got so ill that she needed to be resuscitated again, she wouldn't be able to recover enough to have a decent life afterwards. That's extremely debatable, especially now she's made such fab progress (she was initially thought to be blind and deaf).
NB, I think your site got linked to from Charlotte's page because of trackback - it automatically detected your entry - so if you want Debbie and Darren Wyatt to see this nice apology, you'll improve your chances by putting a link in there somewhere.
Cheers.
hi there darren wyatt here charlotte wyatts , father , well where can i start apart from charlotte is making so much progress, also as alot of people heard it all for themselves last friday by her own consultant, and the other specialists who examined her, like i said last year i belive in miricles and yes here is the miricle charlotte has defied the odds , and she is still here and making good progress day by day , all this was said last year would never happen , never alone she was supposed to be blind and deaf , now the hospital agree she can see and hear , just one more thing , she is 2years old on friday and we are making plans to have her own , we have had a meeting with the hospital and charlotte will be home soon , and when she is home thats when we will all see her get better alot faster as like they say there is no place like home , i hope you will all keep praying for charlotte and ourselves.
yours faithfully Darren Wyatt .
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