Teens Given Voice on End-of-Life Decisions

It is extremely difficult for parents of teens facing life threatening illnesses to make needed advanced-care decisions during their life and funeral arrangements upon their children’s death. Traditionally the burden has been solely put on grieving parents, but a trend is being seen of healthcare providers addressing teens directly.

The mother of 17-year-old AshLeigh McHale, found her daughter’s written instructions, which included how she wanted her care to be handled during her last days and what she wanted her family to know, helpful after her daughter died in July. McHale’s family honored her wishes by bringing her home for her final moments and gathering for a family dinner of steak fajitas after her funeral.

See Jan Hoffman, Teenagers Face Early Death, on Their Terms, The New York Times, March 28, 2015.

Special thanks to Lewis Saret (Law Office of Lewis J. Saret, Washington, D.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.