paul brophy

Paul Brophy was an energetic middle-aged fireman in Massachusetts who entered a persistent vegetative state with no believed chance of recovery. Opposing viewpoints between his family and his doctors on how to deal with his condition sparked what may be the first legal case on the right to die. On March 22, 1983, Paul Brophy sustained a devastating basilar artery aneurysm rupture with tragic neurologic consequences. Following the rupture he entered a persistent vegetative state with no chance of recovery. As he was unable to chew or swallow, a gastric feeding tube was eventually inserted into him to allow for nutrition and hydration. Later, when it was obvious that there was no hope for even a modest degree of recovery, his family requested that his gastrostomy feedings be terminated, a request based on the fact that Mr. Brophy had verbally indicated that he would not want to exist in such a degraded state. However, the hospital, New England Sinai Hospital, denied the request, leading to a series of legal actions. While the first court to hear the case agreed that Mr. Brophy would have wanted the gastrostomy tube removed, it refused to authorize its removal, principally because he was not terminally ill. However, when the case went on further to the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, transfer of Mr. Brophy to another hospital facility that was agreeable to removal of the gastrostomy tube was authorized. Mr. Brophy died a number of days later, making him the first American to die after court-authorized discontinuation of artificially supplied nutrition and hydration to a comatose patient.

Paul Brophy

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