Medical ethics

There's a story on CNN about a woman in Texas fighting to keep her child on life support against a hospital that wants to take him off of the ventilator that is keeping him alive.

This child has Leigh's disease, a degenerative disorder attacking his central nervous system. He is 17 months old and cannot see, speak or eat. He doesn't breathe on his own and, in fact, would die within hours if taken off the ventilator. His mother wants him to die "naturally, the way God intended."

Baby Emilio

Now, I understand loving your child and wanting him to have the best life possible for as long as possible. What I can't understand is keeping your child alive when there is absolutely no hope for any meaningful life.

I, in no way, think that the hospital should have the right to say "We're taking your child off life support". That is a decision that should be made by the family alone. In this mother's case, though, I think she's being incredibly selfish. This child is in pain. His central nervous system is being destroyed. He cannot survive without the ventilator. I don't think that t his is "what God intended." This is not "natural". "Natural" would have been to let him stop breathing on his own without forcing a breathing tube down his throat. "Natural" would have been, as painful as it is, to let him die months ago.

I have a friend (well, *had* a friend, I haven't spoken to her in years) but her first child was a girl who was born anencephalic. It was tragic and heartbreaking. But to their credit, the parents never once considered trying to keep her alive. To my way of thinking, that would have been incredibly cruel. And, to my way of thinking, this mother would better serve her son's best interests by letting him go.

But I still don't think the hospital should have a say.

Virginia Tech

I'm not going to rehash the news because I'm sure that there's going to be more and more information that comes out over the next few days, however...

I was reading the profiles of some of the people who were killed - students and professors. And what struck me was everything that *the world* has lost. I realize that these are daughters and sons, mothers and fathers, aunts, uncles and friends and the tragedies are intensely personal for these people.

But read the profiles!

Ryan Clark was a biology and English major planning to pursue a doctorate in psychology with a focus in cognitive neuroscience.

Jocelyne Couture-Nowak pushed to establish a French school in Nova Scotia.

Caitlin Hammaren was was a leader among students.

Kevin Granata, was one of the top five biomechanics researchers in the country and was working on movement dynamics in cerebral palsy.

Jeremy Herbstritt had two undergraduate degrees from Penn State, one in biochemistry and molecular biology from 2003, and another in civil engineering from 2006 and he talked of getting into environmental work after school.

G. V. Loganathan, a professor of civil and environmental engineering who earned the Outstanding Faculty Award, the Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Civil Engineering Education.

Daniel Perez Cueva, 21, of Peru, was a student of international relations, an interest driven by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He spoke four languages.

Juan Ramon Ortiz, 26 from Puerto Rico, was teaching a class as part of his graduate program in civil engineering at Virginia Tech.

Reema Samaha, 18, a student of Lebanese descent. She was looking forward to majoring in urban planning with a minor in international relations because "she thought she could solve the problems of the world," her father said.

That's just a few of the people who were taken from the world. Who knows what they would have accomplished? Civil engineers who could have rebuilt New Orleans and prevented it from happening again. International workers who could have brought peace to war torn areas. Biomedical researchers who could have improved the life of millions of people stricken with cerebral palsy, MS, lupus, etc. Environmental workers, leaders of mankind all lost to the gun of a disturbed man.

But... there is a ray of hope in the person of Liviu Librescu, 76. He was a Holocaust survivor who, his son said, will be remembered as a hero. He "blocked the doorway with his body and asked the students to flee," Joe Librescu told the AP. "Students started opening windows and jumping out." Again, who knows what those students that he saved will accomplish? Maybe *they* will save a city, a life, the environment, the world.

"Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire."

Maybe he did.