Final Wishes: A Cautionary Tale on Death, Dignity & Physician-Assisted Suicide

by Paul Chamberlain

Recipient of an Honourable Mention in the 2001 God Uses Ink Contest!Patrick is dying a slow, agonizing death. He wants his friend, Dr. Ron Grey, to help him--but not to get better. Instead, Patrick wants Ron to help him end his suffering by ending his life.This is the premise of a story that Paul Chamberlain employs to reveal the ethical and emotional complexities of a movement that is gaining supporters daily. It is a story that sends Ron Grey on a difficult journey across a continent and through a minefield of conflicting ideas and values.Should people have a legal right to choose the time of their death? Can adequate safeguards be employed to protect the public from potential abuses of physician-assisted suicide laws? What does it mean for people to die with dignity? Will people feel an obligation not to burden their families with their prolonged illness? What has been the experience in the Netherlands, which has had a physician-assisted suicide law for over twenty-five years? What about the possibility of misdiagnosis? Is there a legitimate public interest in what appears to be a purely private act? Can morality be legislated at all?Paul Chamberlain considers all of these vital issues clearly and carefully. Yet as we move through the legal, political, medical and ethical questions, he also helps us to see the personal side of these topics played out in the context of a caring family and a deep friendship. Here is a timely and helpful book on one of the most controversial concerns of our day.

215 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Samantha Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

While reading this book I cried a lot. However I also got very angry, and very confused, mimicking the emotions of the main character's the entire time. The only problem was that the main character is a real person, and not someone made up simply for the use of the book. The realization of this is what made my emotions so strong as I read. I originally chose this book because I wanted more insight on the topic, and it was quite obvious as I began reading that I made the right choice. Final Wishes gave me more information than I could ever need about physician assisted suicide, and it had my opinion about it changing page by page. In the end I realized if you're a logical thinker you're choice would most likely be to legalize the practice. If you're an emotional thinker you probably won't want it practiced. There are so many things that go into this decision, the most important being the feelings of the physicians, and especially the patients. Unfortunately, not every patient is the the same, their situations are different, no physician is exactly alike, and what's best for one may not be what's best for the other.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrative is a little corny, but the case is made well against physician-assisted suicide. This is an issue that was at the forefront two decades ago, but advances in hospice care have placed it on the back burner in these days. I’m certain the author is a Christian, though never explicitly stated. The arguments for such liberties are usually simple, but the full implications require a broader perspective.