Terri Schiavo on My Mind- Warren's Thoughts 4/27/2004
Terri Schiavo�s situation has received substantial publicity over the past several months, so I doubt if there are very many of us who haven�t heard about the complex issues which have been raised.
However, no matter what any of us might believe about right to life issues in general, or about her specific situation, there is a very simple lesson in her story: Regardless of what your own preferences might be, if you make them known, there�s a high probability that they�ll be honored. That�s it.
Terri was in her 20s when she had her heart attack and she had neither prepared a Living Will, nor named anyone as her Health Care Representative. That is, she did not state her wishes and she didn�t name a specific person to make decisions for her in the event she became unable to make them herself. Since she didn�t provide clear directions, which left it to her husband and parents to argue in the courts about what she would have wished. It also made things difficult for her health care providers. Since she hadn�t named a person to be her representative, they did not have a single contact person to whom they could turn for information & decisions.
These are two of the most basic of estate planning documents. Even little Columbus, where I live, has dozens of attorneys who can help you with their preparation. If you live elsewhere, or feel you cannot afford an attorney, there are on-line resources available (contact our office for links, if you�d like) and most libraries have reference materials as well.
While this issue is fresh in our minds, why not take an hour or so to make your own wishes known? With a few simple documents in place, medical professionals will know your desires and you will also spare your loved ones from having to make difficult decisions without your guidance.
We have posted a white paper titled Thinking the Unthinkable in the Financial Briefs section of our website. It offers some definitions and sources for further information.
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