Tim Bowers' Decision to Stop Life Support

On Sunday, just one day after falling from a deer stand and injuring his spine, Tim Bowers decided to end his life rather than remain paralyzed and on life support forever.



"This is the ideal in many ways of what medicine and medical ethics has been trying to accomplish for end-of-life care, in that, a patient who was facing the end of his life had a chance to speak for himself, and tell his wife, his family, the world, what he wanted," -- Dr. Peter Schwartz, IU Center for Bioethics.



I agree with Dr. Schwartz.  But did Tim Bowers have sufficient decision making capacity at the time he made the decision?  Did he sufficiently appreciate the options and possibilities of life as a paralyzed individual.  We commonly impose mandatory waiting periods for major decisions (sterilization, abortion, death with dignity).  This helps assure not just adequate appreciate of risks and alternatives but also allows deliberation and reflection.



Even John Stuart Mill would support a temporary waiting period.  It is only "soft" or "weak" paternalism, to ensure that the individual's decision truly is voluntary.