Reference no: EM133317955
Bobby's Chemotherapy When he was seven, Bobby (not his real name) was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. This is a form of cancer which causes the sufferer to overproduce white blood cells in their bone marrow. Because of the rate at which they are produced, these cells are immature, early lymphoid precursors, and they eventually overwhelm the normal bone marrow cells. The disease causes fatigue, anemia, and joint and bone pain, and it is fatal if left untreated. Bobby underwent chemotherapy, and his cancer went into remission. By 2008, when Bobby was eleven, however, his cancer had returned. His physicians gave him only six months to live without treatment, although another round of chemotherapy would give him a 50% chance of going into complete remission. Knowing how chemotherapy had made him feel the first time around, Bobby refused to accept treatment, and his father and step-mother supported his decision. (His mother had died from cancer when Bobby was four). As his father said, "I think about the first time around, what it did to him and how it almost killed him, and when he told me he doesn't want it anymore. He doesn't want to die this way. He would rather die at home in a peaceful, comfortable way."1 Bobby did not want to go through the pain of chemotherapy again, and his family accepted his choice. It was at this point that the Children's Aid Society (CAS) became involved with Bobby's case. The mandate of the CAS is to protect children, and Bobby's decision would lead to his death. In order to save his life, the CAS sued to be granted temporary custody of him. Once their were granted that, they gave consent to the chemotherapy that Bobby and his parents had initially refused. As the executive director of the CAS said regarding their decision,"The fact of the matter is there is provincial legislation in place that states that children must receive the care and treatment they require."2 Once the treatment began, Bobby's parents were given limited visitation rights. Speaking about his son's spirits, The boy's father said at the time that Bobby told him, "I don't care. They can even kill me with their chemo and stuff I don't care, as long as I can come home and be home with you and mommy."3 He clearly was despondent over the fact that he was forced to undergo treatment against his will. Ultimately, Bobby was returned to his parents with the caveat that he had to be brought back to hospital for further chemotherapy treatments. This story is already complicated enough, but here are some further wrinkles. Bobby has fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), which has impaired his mental faculties. (Precisely how serious this impairment is has not been reported.) He also suffers from psychotic episodes, possibly related to the FAS. Finally, Bobby believed that he would be able to overcome his cancer through a treatment involving green tea, oregano, and turmeric. His physicians, however, believe that such a course of treatment would only result in his death.
Questions.
1. Explain what moral issues we have talked about apply to the case you've chosen (e.g., paternalism).
2. Explain the moral reasoning that you wish to apply to this case (utilitarianism or deontology).
3. What you think the right action is in this case (based on your moral reasoning).