"Conversation should be pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, free without indecency, learned without conceitedness, novel without falsehood."
Published on August 7, 2004 By Sally jacobs In Current Events
The news makes me so sad sometimes. All the awful things going on. The worrying this is we probably don't know half of what goes on in the world. At the moment the news is covering the story of Andrew Wragg. An Ex-soldier who has been arrested for the murder of his son Jacob Wragg. Who was ten years old. Jacob was found dead at his home, and was pronounced dead after an ambulance crew failed to revive him. It later came out, he appeared to die of Asphyxiation. Andrew Wragg is currently out on bail. This is being called a mercy killing, as Jacob suffered from a severe form of Hunter Syndrome. He was unlikely to make it to fifteen. Hunter's Syndrome is an incurable genetic disorder that among other things causes dwarfism, mental damage and enlargement of the face and head. I am sure Jacob had a difficult life, as did he family, facing the everyday turmoil of his condition. This turns into a Euthanasia issue. Was it a mercy killing? Was this Father simply doing the only thing he could think of to help his son. Did he do it for his son or himself, did he even do it? These answers can't be answered we can only speculate. Some may argue this boy had no life, especially if he was only expected to live till his teen years.

There is a little girl well known in England called Kirsty. She is well known for a reason, she is a very special little girl. Here's a little bit about Kirsty provided by her website, which i have added the link to at the bottom of this article;

"Kirsty was born with her heart back to front, so all other organs are misplaced. Kirsty has a single pumping heart chamber and has had nine Cardiac procedures, her day to day living is severely restricted by abnormal blood vessels developing in her lung. Kirsty is unique and the only child in Great Britain (in fact there has only been one other child in the World) with her condition. Kirsty was given six weeks to live Feb 1999 - thank god she is still here and we pray each day for a miracle."

Kirsty certainly is a miracle child, six weeks to live five years ago. Kirsty has dedicated her short life to raising money for charity. Her aim is to reach five million. She is half way there. She always has a smile on her face, she has met many celebrities on her travels, and each is completely amazed by this child. What would have happened if people had given up on her?

Now as I said in the case we can only presume things in the case of Jacob, as the details are still sketchy. Maybe this boy had an awful life, was in pain every minute of everyday. Maybe his life was not a life, but just one long miserable journey. Or maybe his parents found it all to tough. Looking after all his extra needs. Maybe their life was miserable. I doubt they did it for selfish reasons. Maybe I have more faith in people, but there is other options for them if they felt they could just not cope in looking after him anymore. If this Father did this action, he made the ultimate sacrifice in my opinion. He did the ultimate thing for his son. Right or wrong. If he did it to put his son out of his misery, then I think in a strange way he valued his sons life more than his own.

I agree with Euthanasia. I think individuals have the right to decide whether they want to live their life or not. Because they are the ones that have to live it. No one else. They have to live through the pain. Their family do too. I don't think it's an easy decision to reach for anyone, and I think it's one that should be respected. If someones life is just one long miserable road of pain, who are we to say they should keep on living it? There are all different kinds of circumstances of course, and this form of action is not correct in everyone, but in some I truely believe it is for the individual to make and no one else.




Comments
on Aug 08, 2004
great post Sally

Where do I begin? Kristy seems like an amazing child. The key to surviving all obstacles in life, from career to mortality, is attitude.
one of my customers is the father of a 4 year old girl with a rare form of leukemia. She is a beuatiful child and is very mentally strong but physically exhausted. Yet her resilience motivates her dad to get through each day. i am a cancer survivor myself and my Doctors were amazed at my recovery. Because I have a very determined way about me. Nothing or noone is ever going to bring me down. People with attitude often overcome things, if they are indeed overcomeable.

But what about when it is only a matter of time and no medical procedure will reverse the damage and your quality of life has been destroyed?

Alzheimers is such a disease. You are waiting for a) a cure or for the suffering to end. Both are too long in the waiting.
And what if there is tremendous suffereing involved? Can a parent end a life to stop their child from suffering? Absolutely. But this is in my own opinion, the law would disgree with me. It is simply not legal to take another life. It is not even legal to commit suicide! (think about that one). I was a big supporter of Jack Kevorkian. He was helping people do what they wanted yet he has been labeled a criminal. Because to be a part of a death is to be a killer in the eyes of the law.

But it doesn't make it right. The law should at least allow provisions for situations in which compassion and yes mercy are involved. But i don't think that will ever happen.
on Aug 08, 2004
whosyurdaddy, I am totally loving that name it makes me want to shout, "you are baby" sorry, anyway...to the comment, which was brilliant btw....

The key to surviving all obstacles in life, from career to mortality, is attitude.


It certainly is, it's amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it. This little girl is amazing, and touches everyone she meets, she is not only leading a valuable life herself, but letting others do so too.

It is simply not legal to take another life. It is not even legal to commit suicide!


The law is great if we live in a world that is black and white but we don't. It's the full colour version, and the law needs to mirror that. illegal to commit sucide? That says it all really doesn't it.

The law should at least allow provisions for situations in which compassion and yes mercy are involved. But i don't think that will ever happen.


I don't think it will either, but I will still speak forward for it.

Thanks for the comment