A Right to Die, The Will to Live

Recently, the New York Times Sunday Magazine had a touching article about the right to die with dignity.

It was about a Salt Lake City couple named Brooke Hopkins and Margaret (Peggy) Battin.

Brooke was a giant of a man, 6'5" with an appetite for life to match. He's a university professor who loved the great outdoors, and traveling to exotic destinations. And he was described by a friend as "the one who ate the most, drank the most, talked the loudest, danced the longest."

But his dancing ended on Nov. 14, 2008. That was when he had a horrible bike accident, flying off his bike, and his neck and head hitting the ground with a shattering force.

After months in the hospital, Brooke emerged as a quadriplegic who's attached to a ventilator. And Peggy, also a university professor, emerged as a caregiver to a man who had been the living definition of "vitality."

Brooke had already dictated a living will, stating that no extraordinary measures were to be taken to extend his life artificially. However, by the time Peggy got to the hospital...the extraordinary measures had already been taken. So, every day of her life, Peggy is now faced with the question of what Brooke, who is often in pain and needs 24/7 attention, would like her to do. Shut off the machines and the breathing and feeding tubes? Or keep her husband - who still has an active mind and voice - alive artificially.

Brooke and Peggy had done all the right things. But, still, they're confronted on a daily basis with questions. Brooke about when to say "when." And Peggy about what to do when the love of her life finally does say "when."

When the time comes, your family will have questions, too. But we can help.

At The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we practice Elder Law....and we've been answering questions like this for South Florida families for the past 34 years. And we've helped them - and their senior loved ones - secure their futures, with comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care planning, asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid and the VA.

We can help your family, too. And we're just a phone call away.