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D.C. Hospital and Orthodox Jews spar over boy's life
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The Jewish blogoshere was all abuzz last week after The Washington Post published a story about a terminally ill Jewish boy and the clash between his ultra-Orthodox parents and Children's National Medical Center about continuing the boy's treatment.
12-year-old Motl Brody, doctors say, is technically dead as his brain has ceased to function. But the Hasidic sect to which his family belongs ordains that the boy is still alive so long as his heart and lungs are beating- which his do, but only with the help of drugs and machines.
The case was set to go to D.C. Superior Court today, but was postponed until Thursday, according to NBC.
Like most of my fellow, Jewish bloggers, I am completely torn over this issue. Jews are required to preserve life at all costs- because life is God's precious gift. It's one of the things I admire most about Judaism; no one person's life is more important than another's, no matter if you're comparing a comatose child with no chance of recovery to a virile, young adult who can climb Mount Everest in record time. Every time I think of the validity of taking Motl off of life support, I counteract, Who am I to judge his life?
At the same time, these doctors and machinery might very well be needed for other patients, and as important as life is in Judaism, it is also imperative to mourn properly when the death of a loved one inevitably comes. The biggest tragedy of this story, however, is that so much money and time is being spent on court cases when both the hospital and the family could be indulging in more needed pursuits.
The Post has since published an editorial, which favors taking Motl off of life support.
What are your thoughts on this matter? Have the Brodys taken their religious convictions too far? Or is CNMC in violation of it's most important tenant- to preserve life?
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