Hospital or Heaven?

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/27/health/girl-chooses-heaven-over-hospital-part-1/index.html

Snow had to spend 11 days in a intensive care unit because she was struggling to breathe.

Yeileny Lopez, Staff Writer
Nov 15, 2015

If you were the parent of a young terminally-ill child, would you let them make a decision that would end their life? With the Death with Dignity Act passed in certain states, adults diagnosed with a terminally-ill disease can choose to end their misery through the voluntary self-administration of lethal medications, prescribed by a doctor. This means that if you no longer wish to receive medical treatments for your illness and no longer want to suffer your last days in agonizing pain, you can end your life on your own terms. The act specifically says that only mentally competent, terminally-ill adults are allowed to end their lives in this manner. That being said, children should not be allow to make this decision since they have yet to experience the joys in life, and should not be thinking about their death at such a young age.

Her older brother, Alex, has been receiving therapy to prepare himself for his sister's death.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/27/health/girl-chooses-heaven-over-hospital-part-2/index.html
Her older brother, Alex, has been receiving therapy to prepare himself for his sister’s death.

Toddlers don’t really reflect on the consequences of their actions or decisions; especially ones that determines whether they live or die. If presented with the decision to end their misery and painful medical procedures at the cost of their life, many adults would seriously consider their options, while children would not have enough life experience to be able to make such a decision.

“I think that the parents should make that decision for their child because at the end of the day they only want the best for their children, and [most] toddlers don’t understand what’s going on…” freshman Reisy Reyes said.

Since her chewing and swallowing muscles are really weak, she is fed through a tube in her stomach.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/27/health/girl-chooses-heaven-over-hospital-part-2/index.html
Julianna must be fed via feeding tube because the muscles in her mouth are too weak to chew.

Julianna Snow is a 5 year old who has an incurable disease; Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease. This disease comes in many forms, and all lead to the degeneration of muscle and sensory nerves; eventually taking away the ability to move or feel sensations all over the body. Recently, her parents let her decide if she wants to stay home or go to the hospital the next time something critical happens to her. Snow decided that staying at home was better, which means that she would not receive the medical treatment that is needed to save her life. Although Julianna cannot take advantage of the Death With Dignity act, her parent’s compliance to her wishes will ultimately attain the same results.

“I don’t think toddlers can really comprehend what is going on yet, however I think older kids like teenagers are more able to comprehend what is happening,” sophomore Scarlett Rivas said.

Michelle told CNN's Elizabeth Cohen that when the time comes she will ask Julianna if she wants to go to heaven or the hospital and she will fulfill her wishes.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/27/health/girl-chooses-heaven-over-hospital-part-2/index.html
Michelle told CNN’s Elizabeth Cohen that when the time comes she will ask Julianna if she wants to go to heaven or the hospital, and that she will fulfill her [daughter’s] wishes.
Some may think that a child should also have the authority to make this decision because they are the ones who are suffering.  The reason why they believe children should have the right to decide is because the child is the only one going through all the pain, they are the ones who have to be hospitalized, and they are the only ones who know what they can handle. It’s easy to say that it will get better in the future when talking about someone else; but when you’re the one in that situation, you may realize that your future does not look very hopeful.

If children are given the authorization to end their life on their own terms, then they will start to lose hope earlier and decide to just give up. They won’t be able to enjoy what it is like to be alive and they won’t be able to experience the beauty of the world.