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to move, and need to be cared for all the time. “I can still speak, just barely, but that ability will also go in the not-too-distant future. My doctor treats me to make sure that I am not in any great pain and to keep my mind alive, but my body feels as if it is dead. My condition has deteriorated so much that I am now past the point where I am able to physical- ly take my own life. “While I have any strength left at all, I am trying to talk to the members of my family about someone taking my life for me. However, my family is against euthanasia and each of them has different reasons for opposing it: My younger brother is very religious and feels that it is against the will of God as well as the teachings of the Bible. My sister, on the other hand, says that having survived a war, I should know how precious life is. “If I were healthy, I could take my own life, but because I assisted suicide— suicide with help from another person (such as a doctor) to end suffering from severe physical illness. deteriorate— to become worse as time passes. euthanasia— the act or practice of killing someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any more suffering. extradition— the surrender of an alleged criminal by one authority (as a state) to another having jurisdiction to try the charge. living will— a document in which one says what medical decisions should be made if they become too sick or injured to make those decisions. progressive— happening or developing gradually over a period of time. Words to Understand in This Chapter

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Euthanasia