The following comes from a June 11 story on LifeNews.com.
From a June 11 email to Cal Catholic: “The judge based his decision partly on: ‘It would be acutely harmful for Mr. Kasem to have nutrition and hydration restored at this time. …This was at the advisement of doctors at St. Anthony’s.’
St. Anthony’s Catholic Hospital in Gig Harbor WA is part of the Franciscan Health system.”
In a case that is beginning to resemble the battle over Terri Schiavo, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daniel Murphy ruled that the daughter of radio announcer Casey Kasum can starve and dehydrate him to death by having his food and fluids removed. The bitter standoff between the wife of the radio icon and the children from his first marriage over whether he will be fed and hydrated has been played out in court this week.
On Monday Judge Murphy appointed an attorney who will meet with Kasem and his doctors in Washington state. Then, today, the judge granted the daughter of Casey Kasem the authority to withhold medication, food and fluids from her ailing father.
As AP reports:
A lawyer says a judge has granted the daughter of Casey Kasem the authority to withhold medication, food and fluids from her ailing father.
In the ruling Wednesday, attorney Troy Martin said, Superior Court Judge Daniel Murphy determined that giving Kasem food and fluids would be harmful and cause more pain for the 82-year-old former radio personality.
His daughter Kerri Kasem initially implemented the end-of life measures on June 6.
On Monday, Murphy ordered the reinstatement of feeding and other care while a court-appointed attorney consulted with Casey Kasem and doctors.
Martin, an attorney for Kerri Kasem, said that ruling was reversed on Wednesday.
The New York Daily News, which first reported the ruling, said Kasem’s wife of 34 years, Jean Kasem, stormed out of court after Murphy’s decision.
She and Kerri Kasem have been involved in a dispute over care.
“The court’s decision today upheld our father’s explicit wishes as expressed by him in his health directive,” Kerri Kasem said in a statement after the hearing. She was referring to a directive her father signed in 2007, saying he would not want to be kept alive if it “would result in a mere biological existence, devoid of cognitive function, with no reasonable hope for normal functioning.”
Steve Haney, the attorney for Jean Kasem, alleged Kerri Kasem’s motives were entirely different. She “could cash in immediately” on her share of a $2 million life insurance policy when he dies,” CNN reported.
“Only God knows when to take someone,” she said.
Kasem’s voice counted down the American Top 40 hits each week for nearly four decades in a radio show heard around the world. He voiced the cartoon character Shaggy on Scooby-Doo cartoons for 40 years.
To read the entire LifeNews story, click here.
We should all have an “Advance Directive” on our own lives.
http://www.flaccb.org/CDLD/121211CDLD.pdf
For more info read the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition”
Paragraphs: # 2276, 2277, 2278, 2279 and 2324, 2325.
Includes Church teaching on palliative care, etc.
Thanks MATT for the link! God bless you
I like the Will to Live better for an advance directive that is in keeping with the Catholic Faith. It is much more specific.
https://www.priestsforlife.org/euthanasia/livingwill.htm
Mr. Casem is not being starved to death. He is dying. They are allowing the natural process to occur. It will occur whether he is given food and water artificially or not. His body is no longer processing food and water so giving it to him artificially only adds to his discomfort.
Terri Schiavo was not dying. They starved her to death.
Anonymous it is a Mortal Sin to withhold food and water from anyone when the intention is to cause death.
Starvation and withholding hydration is evil.
Go back and read the article before pontificating errors.
CCC: ” 2277 Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.
Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator.
The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded.”
Dave, I don’t know how familiar with navigating the process of death, but that’s very common. I’ve been through it myself.
Once someone has been given a terminal diagnosis and moved to a hospice (not sure if that happened here, but sounds like it), anything beyond the most feeble attempt to offer food or water is considered “heroic means”. If he had dementia and was on feeding/hydration via tubes, those would be removed. And regardless of whether the cause of death was from dehydration or the primary diagnosis, the official cause of death will be the one predicating the terminal diagnosis.
It’s incredibly frustrating, and there are a ton of euphemisms and rigid (false) barriers of distinction, which mostly function to make the process easier both legally and ethically for medical staff, and easier to process for family. Personally, I found it infuriating.
There’s no way to know what kind of shape Casey Kasem was in. It sounded like a mess of a battle between his wife and children, but you’d hope they all wanted the best for him. It’s a reach to think his children wanted him dead for financial gain. It sounded like he was near death regardless.
The intention was not to cause death.
last i read, from intensive care nurses, withholding water and food causes acute pain.
David , I agree. It’s cruel to deny anyone water — dying or otherwise.
Life is precious! It is a gift from God, the Author of all life. Satan hates life, and has influenced us to love death more than life. Abortion is seen as removing unwanted tissue, like cutting the hair, or trimming the nails. Recently, a lady with dementia broke her hip, and was admitted to a hospital. Up until this accident, except for her mental state, she was in good health. At the hospital she had an operation , but she was also given tainted blood, and by prescribing too much morpheme she was not eating. She returned to the adult foster care facility where she lived for the past five years. But staying at the hospital had already damaged her heath. She died three days later. It was a horrible tragedy, and I was there to witness it.. Society has no use for the elderly. God will punish us for trying to snuff out life, instead of trying to protect it.
He died today.
And his daughter deprived him of food and water.
His body could no longer digest food and giving him water made his lungs fill up with fluid.
This is very sad. I think that its horrible to judge the daughter as someone who wants her dad dead for inheritance etc reasons. This is not the same as a Terry Schiavo situation. Well it doesn’t seem that way.
This is a personal time for this family, trying to deal with their dying loved one as best they can. He just passed away. It seemed like it was a natural death. To indicate that there was some sort of malice, well, that is just another tragedy. I don’t agree with removing fluids and nutrition but I’m sure there is more to this story than meets the eye.
As there always is, which is why those of us outside the hospital should just keep our mouths shut. Thanks, Abeca, for recognizing that in this situation.
I heard that Mr. Kasem passed away. Anyway, I think that all professions, to include our legal and medical professions, must recognize God, and the sacredness of all life, and they must all be under the Judeo-Christian moral law. There should never be any conflict, or the law telling the medical profession to “do this” or “do that,” when it comes to the sacredness of all life! No, all professions must be under the same moral law, follow the same guidelines, and answer to God!
This is what happens when someone does not have an ADVANCE DIRECTIVE as stated by MATT above.
Read the paragraphs in the CCC he pointed out. Committing a mortal sin near the time of death is like committing Russian roulette with your Soul.
In this case it sounds like murder by daughter, Kerri Kasem to gain $2 million via insurance.
He had an advance directive. It was followed.
Dave, I do not know the full details of this situation, but. I had a fellow co worker who got a brain tumor after she retired. The hospital wanted to take her off of food and water though she was not going through the actually dying process. One of her daughters took her home and fed and hydrated her until the hospice came when she was dying.
One can get end of life directives from the American Life League also. Food and water, until the patient is actually going through the dying process, is considered normal care.
Indeed, Anne T, until you’ve been through it, no one should judge. I don’t know what went on in these people’s lives, or why they chose to do what they did, but I do think it’s a private matter. I don’t see it as being like the Schiavo case, as Kasem was very old and dying a natural death. To keep him on life support might have been unnatural and cruel. I don’t know. I’m thankful I don’t have to make the decision. When a doctor determines that the patient is within days of dying, it certainly isn’t being helpful to prolong their agony.
Dana apparently you are not Catholic either, or you would know that ALL Catholics are required to adhere to the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition”.
You should educate yourself, because you never know when you will be called upon to make the decision for yourself or others.
Murdering another (regardless of age), or committing suicide could send you to Hell.
(If you are Catholic, you certainly have not read the pertinent paragraphs in the CCC. Shame on you for posting against Church teaching.)
As stated by MATT(one of the first posts):
For more info read the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition”
Paragraphs: # 2276, 2277, 2278, 2279 and 2324, 2325.
Includes Church teaching on palliative care, etc.
I know, Dana. I went through it with my mother-in-law, father-in-law, mother and step father, and a niece. People usually do the best they can. Let us hope so because all of our time will come around.
As far as I know, none of them were starved or dehydrated to death. At least not while I was there.
I agree Anne. We went through it with my dad. We gave him water on a sponge. What people like Pat don’t want to understand is it is not murder to let a person die at the time God intended…too often they inadvertently play God by forcing people to stay alive on machines etc. How unloving and judgmental Pat sounds…”The whole concern of doctrine and it’s teaching must be directed to the love that never ends”. I read this last night in the Prologue of the CC and it really touched my heart. Funny how we all interpret the same words. As you say, Anne, we did the best we could. It’s never easy to say goodbye to a beloved.
“Transitioning our father’s treatment to comfort-oriented care was one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make,” Kerri writes on her Facebook page.
She assures that the goal is for her father to not be in pain.
“For people who do not understand the natural dying process: Giving food and water to a dying body creates pain and further suffering. The body does not want or require food or water anymore in the dying process. My father can no longer digest foods and fluids fill his lungs up and will suffocate him. My Dad IS on pain meds
End of life decisions are heartbreaking and gut-wrenching.
I know a family that insisted the hospital keep trying to give the patient food, water and oxygen even after the doctor sat them down and told them “You are torturing her.” They went in the next day and were told that the patient who was usually resting and unconscious would wake up and fight them if they tried to administer anything to her. Then they reluctantly accepted it.
Anonymous, you can join or start your own Church. You clearly are not Catholic. So go start your own web site.
Just because a few doctors are loons does not mean a thing.
Food and water is not torture, and when a patient us unable to swallow, nutrition and hydration is provided intravenously.
I hope you don’t burn in hell for killing someone, or for killing yourself.
It violates Church teaching to withhold food and water from the terminally ill so that they will die sooner.
The CCC has teachings on palliative care – which is greatly supported.
$2 MILLION bucks can be a big incentive for murder.
“Thou shall not kill.”
In 1995 the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers published the Charter for Health Care Workers, paragraph 120 of which explicitly affirms: “The administration of food and liquids, even artificially, is part of the normal treatment always due to the patient when this is not burdensome for him or her; their undue interruption can have the meaning of real and true euthanasia”.
This is the teaching of the Catholic Church. WHEN IT IS NOT BURDENSOME TO THE PATIENT. You are not required to cause additional suffering to the dying. It will kill them faster to administer fluids because they will not be able to breathe.
I believe Mr. Kasem had been on a feeding tube for many months and he was on an IV. I know that you are trying to be pro-life and it is true that when a person is dying they are to still be given food and water unless it is detrimental to them..
AND Kerri Kasem can make $2 million in a few months. She really does not need the money. Her net worth is probably 10 times that much.
She begged for prayers for her father before the decision was made. He was in critical condition when they finally found him.
From the National Catholic Bioethics Center:
When death is imminent one may refuse forms of treatment that would only result in a precarious and burdensome prolongation of life. There is a presumption in favor of continuing to provide food and water to the patient, but there is a stage in the dying process when even these may no longer be obligatory because they provide no benefit. Normal care always remains morally obligatory, but refusal of additional treatment when death is imminent is not equivalent to suicide. It should be seen instead as an expression of profound Christian hope in the life that is to come. An instruction not to provide such treatment, when communicated ahead of time to family and friends, may give great comfort to loved ones during emotionally stressful times.
I have an advanced directive. My parish priest is my second and it is on file with the VA. I have a copy in our safe. The directive states: oxygen via nasal canula or face mask, food and water via tubes or IV and antibiotics for infections such as pneumonia. If the antibiotics stop working, discontinue them, but under no circumstance, discontinue oxygen, food or water. IV food snd water is a way to allow the body to use them.
My mother was terminally ill from cancer. She was on TPN (nutrition straight to her heart) for four months. The cancer was attacking, primarily, her intestines. It got to the point where she hadn’t eaten anything for a couple of days and she was still vomiting about 10 times a day (no, I’m not exaggerating). Why? Her intestines were no longer able to process the TPN due to the cancer. And she was in great pain from the stomach trying to empty to the intestines, but the intestines were blocked or dead from the cancer cutting off the blood supply, so she had terrible stomach spasms until she vomited. BTW, pain killers do nothing for this. The only anti-spasmodic available in this country is taken orally.
Now, Pat, and Delilah and others who think the same way about end-of-life issues, all the time, every time, what would you have done for your loved one in this situation?