Suppose a man has a car accident. He is hurt badly and is unconscious;that is, he can`t think, speak, or hear. His family takes him to the hospital. The doctors tell the family that his brain is dead.A machine can make him breathe.
Now the patient`s family must answer some difficult questions. Should they think he is dead? Should they ask the doctors to use the machine to make him breathe? Sometimes machines can make an unconscious person breathe for years.However,if his brain is dead, he will never think, speak, or hear again. Then, should his family ask the doctors not to use the machine and let him die?
Someone who is unconscious can`t say he wants to die.Can his family say this for him? Some people think this is a good idea. Some think otherwise.
Many people are hurt when machines keep a person alive. The unconscious person doesn`t know this. Machines only make the family and friends hurt longer.
应该停止呼吸机吗?
假设某人遭遇了一场车祸，严重受伤、不省人事。也就是说．他不能想、不能说、不能听。 家人把他送去医院。 医生告诉他的家人，这个人已经脑死亡，只能依靠机器的辅助才能呼吸。
现在，病人的家人必须要回答几个为难的问题。在他们眼里，他死了吗?他们应不该要求医生给他使用机器辅助呼吸?有时机器可以帮助昏迷不醒的人维持几年的呼吸。但是，如果他的大脑已经死亡，他将永远无法思考，不能再听、说。那么，他的家人是否应该让医生停止机器，结束他的生命?
不省人事的病人无法表达他对死亡的选择。那么，他的家人是否可以替他说出来?有些人认为这是好主意，也有人不那么认为。
机器勉强维持着病人的生命，在这个过程中，很多人疲惫不堪。而昏迷的人不知道这些，机器只是让他的家人、朋友受到更长时间的折磨。
