5-year-old chooses heaven over hospital

NOADLS · Oct 28, 2015

I believe that all patients should be able to make an informed decision about their health. In this case, she has been lied to that there is this "heaven" place that you go to after you die. If she knew that dead bodies simply decompose underground (or get cremated), she might have chose differently.

anh06005, MSN, APRN, NP · Oct 28, 2015

I believe that all patients should be able to make an informed decision about their health. In this case, she has been lied to that there is this "heaven" place that you go to after you die. If she knew that dead bodies simply decompose underground (or get cremated), she might have chose differently.

I know by now you realize you'll likely get crap for this NOADLS. I'm not going to give you crap for it. But you know it's coming..... :Mummy:

mindofmidwifery, ADN · Oct 28, 2015

I believe that all patients should be able to make an informed decision about their health. In this case, she has been lied to that there is this "heaven" place that you go to after you die. If she knew that dead bodies simply decompose underground (or get cremated), she might have chose differently.

Something called faith...

elkpark · Oct 28, 2015

No 5 yo actually "understands" death. The parents are going to make the decision, and, to me, it's kind of silly to pretend that they are honoring her wishes (although it's certainly convenient for the parents that she is telling them she'd rather "go to heaven" -- much easier for them than deciding to discontinue treatment on a child who wanted to keep living). We don't let 5 yo kids make much less momentous decisions, and there's a reason why. If this couple had a 5 yo who only wanted to eat ice cream from now on, or who didn't want to go to school, would they respect the child's "choice"?

nursej22, MSN, RN · Oct 28, 2015

I am not convinced that many adults understand death, or what it means to do "everything possible

Emergent, RN · Oct 28, 2015

When I was 5, I understood death about the same as I do now. I figured I would live to be the ancient age of 60, so had 55 years left. (I was good at math)

I knew death was permanent, and life after death an uncertain mystery.

NOADLS · Oct 28, 2015

I know by now you realize you'll likely get crap for this NOADLS. I'm not going to give you crap for it. But you know it's coming..... :Mummy:

Possibly. I would argue that those people shouldn't hate the player. They should hate the game.

Or maybe "don't shoot the messenger" would be a better fit.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Oct 28, 2015

I'm not a parent, and can only imagine the situation the parents in the article are going through, but telling a five year old that she's dying and asking her what her wishes are doesn't seem like the right thing to do in this situation.

As elkpark said, there's no way this girl knows death from going on a vacation. Asking a dying five year old about her advance directives is sick. I'm not sure what the parents think they're accomplishing here.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Oct 28, 2015

I believe that all patients should be able to make an informed decision about their health. In this case, she has been lied to that there is this "heaven" place that you go to after you die. If she knew that dead bodies simply decompose underground (or get cremated), she might have chose differently.

I wouldn't say the parents "lied".

But I do think that asking a five year old to choose between "hospital or heaven" is a majorly loaded question. I mean, come on, like the little girl is going to choose shots and icky medicine over Fluffy clouds and angels?

A five year old does not have the intellectual capacity or life experience to know if they believe in God or an afterlife.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 28, 2015

I am pretty much sure that most of "ordinary" folks from the street have no idea about death and what "doing everything possible" really means.

These parents quite obviously imply their beliefs onto the child and, ultimately they, not the patient, will have to make legal decision to continue care or not. But, counting that there will be no cure and quality of life of the poor girl will not become any better, only worse, I kind of understand them. Even if they wouldn't have strong faith and tell their daughter that she is going to the castle to live with Belle and Elsa or whatever that gives their little girl peace and joy, it would worth it. It is questionable from the ethical point of view if dying with faith in heaven is any better than doing so with tube in your throat and couple of broken ribs, but if a human being chooses the first option, then so be it. My prayers are with this family.

P.S. I see pretty much every workday kids who are brought up "the way they feel like". He is not in school in the midday because he didn't feel like going there today. Perhaps tomorrow, if he feels like it. He needs to eat healthier and move about more but he doesn't feel like it, so what can I do. He just felt like curious and just pulled that thing and it just popped out (the thing was granny's Quinton cath, the following was bloody mess). She just felt like she only wanted to try and that was how she got pregnant at 13.

:banghead:

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Oct 28, 2015

That is a brave and smart 5 year old. Its comforting to know when she does die , heaven will gain a beautiful little Angel.