Monday, March 28, 2005

Wesley Smith debating for Terri

Wesley Smith has posted an excerpt of a debate he had with bioethicist Bill Allen on Court TV.

The entire debate is here.

Wesley posts a section about "personhood" but I found this interesting:

Question from rusty: Who is currently paying for Terri's care?

Bill Allen: The Woodside Hospice is using their indigent funds for the hospice costs, and her medications and physician bills are paid by Medicaid.

Wesley Smith: What I find terribly ironic, is that in 1998, Terri had more than $700K in her trust account to pay for her care. The bulk of this money instead went to lawyer George Felos and other attorneys, to help end her life.

Bill Allen: Well, if she did not want to have the care, why should her trust fund pay it, and if she did not, it is appropriate for the fund to pay the legal costs of fighting for her rights.

Wesley Smith: Well, her parents had to take their legal fees out their own pocket, and indeed have spent most of their assets trying to save Terri's life.

Bill Allen: Well, use of the trust fund by Terri's husband is using her own funds, too.

Wesley Smith: Yea, but not his funds.

Bill Allen: But if she didn't want the care, then using her funds is OK.


Does Bill Allen not understand that Michael won that money by claiming that it would be used to care for and rehabiliate Terri? If she didn't want the care (which he would have known back then), why did Michael say the funds would be used for her care? If she didn't want the care, why did Michael sue for money to care for her?

Hat Tip: Between Two Worlds

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