PADLAN, Ma. Pamela Alyssa M.

2-NUR6
Bioethics Reflection paper

Life – can be experienced for a long period of time or within 99 days just like Eliot’s. Having
a short life span or life expectancy does not make anyone less of a human. The long overdue of
people living their life is just as indispensable with people who did not have enough time to live
their life. Eliot's life story opens variety of emotional and ethical dilemmas present in one’s family
and society.

As someone who is studying under the healthcare profession, it is very critical for nurses
to provide the right advice to clients and patients who are choosing between life and death
situations. Eliot, who was diagnosed with trisomy 18 prior to his labor and delivery with a very
minimal chance of surviving due to his condition, still was decided by his parents that he will live
regardless of his critical condition. This tells me that life, as small as it is, even when it still has
not started to develop outside the womb of the mother is still life, is still a gift no one can ever
take away. Despite of prevailing circumstances, Eliot’s life should be respected as how other
healthy infants and newborn are given respect and provided care. Life and death are the two
momentous periods in a human’s life. Having a minimal chance of survival like in Eliot’s condition
is already a blessing to his parents and no one can take that away from them. Also, parents are
the ones responsible for their child’s custody since he cannot still decide for himself.

Almost all of the ethical principles is observed in this case because the parents are
informed about the condition of their child and were asked what resolution would they want to
adhere to for the baby’s safety and sake. An example of an ethical principle involved with the
case is non-maleficence which is doing no harm to the patient versus the autonomy of the
parents who wants their baby to live. This creates an ethical dilemma with both parties due to
the responsibility of parents to decide the course of action their baby will receive so long as he
or she lives. However, on a healthcare professional’s point of view, choosing this course of action
of the parents will just make the baby suffer an extremely poor quality of life. Understanding
ethical principles, ethical dilemmas, and also the autonomy of the patients and clients over their
course of treatment helps the healthcare team decide and provide a lawful and valid needed
action or care they will give to their patients.