From Helen Henderson in the [Toronto] Star, a column about Barbara Farlow, whose three-month old daughter Annie died in a Canadian hospital three years ago. Annie had a chromosomal disorder called Trisomy 13, and died of what her parents believe might have been a treatable respiratory condition. They say a “do not resuscitate” order was issued for Annie without their informed consent.

Now Barbara Farlow is crusading for changes, calling on hospitals across North America and Europe to listen to the wishes of patients and their families. She asks whether some doctors are playing God with disabled kids, misleading parents about their children’s medical conditions and failing to provide treatments that would otherwise be given routinely if their children did not have disabilities.

… Farlow says she wants to bring more accountability and respect for life to the system. This is not about advocating for prolonging life at any cost, she emphasizes. It’s about patient-centered care in which the family is included in an informed decision-making process.

Some families may feel comfortable knowing they will be giving birth to a child with disabilities; others may not, she says. Either way, their wishes should be respected through a process that is transparent and accountable.

More information about Barbara Farlow and her family is here.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 1st, 2008 at 12:22 pm and is filed under NOT2BEMISSED, ethics, hospitals, medicine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post