Would I support the development of a bionic person? And do I support using the "BrainControl" headset to transform the lives of patients with 'locked-in' syndrome?
The questions this week are very challenging because it puts me in the position of questioning the value of human life versus the ethical considerations of keeping everyone alive or functioning at any cost. I think that development of prostheses are wonderful and can give so many people a much better quality of life. Why develop a bionic person, though? I guess I just don't see the need. Instead we should be focusing on preserving and reversing the damage done to our gene pools by GMOs, chemicals and pollution in our environment.
I saw The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and it was both beautiful and horrific. Locked-in Syndrome is not something I would wish on my worst enemy, so I can imagine if it were a close loved-one--I would do anything to allow for communication and ease of any pain. I think that with any technology, medicine, therapy, it's important to set expectations of what the potential outcomes are, one of which may be 'no change'. But just because something is experimental doesn't mean that it shouldn't be tried, especially when options are limited. I have a friend who's aunt had ALS and before she started to deteriorate completely, she threw a huge party, said goodbye to everyone, and the next day she passed away via a planned, assisted suicide. My friend said it was one of the saddest, strangest experiences of his life.
When I think of his aunt, I feel like she was a wise soul, understanding what was to come, accepting it, and letting go of her life before she was ensnared by her own body. Reminds me of the Native Americans just 'knowing their time' to die and walking off into the woods and dying peacefully alone. I've heard animals do that as well. Anyway, easier said than done, we are victims of our culture and connections to nature and spirit have been lost in technology-centered world.
I love this quote and it beautifully simplifies how I feel about this subject:
"In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you." --Buddha
I love reading your posts, Laura. You put so much thought into them. I also love the quote by Buddha--so very appropriate. I think we all have opinions about these things but who knows what we would really do if someone we loved was disabled or "locked in". Much like people making end of life decisions, it's something that's difficult to really understand until you're in that position. Thanks for the very provocative post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris! These aren't easy questions to answer!
DeleteWow, how i will do my blog after seeing yours, you wrote so beautifully right, its really a very provocative post, i love it!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words :-)
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