The Infamous Story Of Dr. Jack Kevorkian

The movie You Don’t Know Jack is about the work and life of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, an advocate for physician-assisted suicide. He fought to legalize euthanasia for patients suffering from terminal illnesses and debilitating pain. Although I don’t support the way Kevorkian went about choosing those he helped, I do support physician-assisted suicide fully, as well as euthanasia, when backed by laws that ensure the process isn’t abused. With a second opinion and an evaluation proving the patient is mentally capable of making and understanding the choice to end his own life, patients should have the right to make this choice.

“A serial mercy killer” (The Right To Die, 80). This is what some would define what Kevorkian did. Kevorkian, however does not feel this way. He performs his acts for the greater good in his eyes. However, he never hesitated to try any other treatments that could result in the patient’s improved health, whether it be antibiotics, or even experimental drug maintenance programs (The Right To Die, 82). He feels that medically assisted suicide is an essential option to those that are incurable and dying (The Right To Die, 83). Kevorkian’s main concern for his terminal patients was their comfort and confidence in their decision. He explains the death his patient’s experienced as being “like a painless heart attack in a deep sleep”(The Right To Die,

This was hardly “doing it right” as Dr. Kevorkian likes to believe. (The New York Times, 2007, para.6)

In 1993, Thomas W. Hyde, a thirty-three year old male came to Jack Kevorich. He was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was unable to swallow without choking, was paralyzed, and had to go through continuous suction procedures. Jack Kevorich was a pathologist who assisted in patient suicide. Kevorich hooked him up to a carbon monoxide mask. Once Thomas decided to pull a sting monoxide would flow through the mask. Twenty minutes later Thomas Hyde died. Thomas Hyde was recorded on video telling Kevorich that he wanted to end his suffering and die. Kevorich was arrested in 1992.

In order to euthanize a patient, Dr. Kevorkian had to brainstorm, and create an easy, painless, and peaceful way to carry out this process. As the book “Between the Dying and the Dead” (2006) states, In 1989, Dr. Kevorkian invented the Thanatron, which translates from Greek to English as the "Death Machine." In 1953, Kevorkian got his

“Dr. Death” was the first to be known for euthanizing and assisting his patients with suicide by

10 to 25 years of prison, but was released after serving eight years of his

Dr. Jack Kevorkian more commonly known as Dr. Death is greatly known for his opinion that euthanasia should be legalized and his work with patients seeking help. He was very important in showing euthanasia and voicing his opinion on the subject so the public could not ignore the importance of the matter. Dr. Kevorkian was said to have been involved with 130 suicides by patients who wanted to end their own lives (Nicol and Wylie 17). He had two machines he used to help the patients, one an injection and the other a mask, however both machines were operated by the patient and although Dr. Kevorkian was taken to court many times for these he was not convicted because the patient was in control. He was very careful as to not actually commit the act himself until he was contacted by Thomas Youk, a young with Lou Gheric’s disease; Lou Gheric’s disease is when the muscle stop working and eventually the patient chokes to death. Tom’s condition prevented him from actually operating the machines and therefore Dr. Kevorkian decided that he would operate the machine himself because he cared greatly about all his patients and could not let Tom live in his constant fear (Nicol and Wylie 11). Dr. Kevorkian taped Tom’s wishes and then himself hooking up the machine and pushing the button to inject the drugs. He then proceed to

When looking at this dilemma through multifaceted lens I see many different sides that on can pick. I think the issue is tough but there is a clear picture in my head that the physician had made the decision to advise Vivian to do this experimental treatment for his own personal gain. I do not believe that Jason or Dr. Kelekian were thinking of the best interest of their patient. The physician’s role allowed him to have much to gain in terms of research but he did not have any person gain or loss with the death of Vivian. The only major impact was on the nurse who had

Kevorkian committed Euthanasia which is to help someone end their own life. As if helping someone kill themselves wasn’t bad enough, he videotaped the whole process which did

Physician assisted suicide is one of the most controversial topics in the medical world today. Many individuals feel as if it is wrong to ask your physician to end your life regardless of your condition. Patients that are terminally ill and that want to end their life with dignity and on their terms often seek assistance in ending their life. They may have many reasons for wanting to end their life instead of holding on such as they do not want to become a burden to their family members, they want to pass away peacefully, or they fear losing their independence. Patients that are in extreme pain and just want it all to be over are also on the top of the list for wanting assistance from their physician to stop the pain the only way possible. The legal definition of assisted suicide according to Duhaime.com is, “A form of suicide or euthanasia which involves a person other than the person taking his or her own life, and during which the other person assists in direct or indirect physical means in giving effect to the suicide or, in the event of a statutory definition, in a manner as set out in that statute.” (Duhaime, L.) Assisted suicide laws are continuously changing and at a rapid rate. As of February 7, 2012 the only two states to have a law allowing assisted suicide were Oregon and Washington. At that time, Montana was welcoming the idea of less suffering for its people and Vermont and Massachusetts are on the way to having bills in the works.

Whereas, in voluntary euthanasia, the physician plays an active role in putting the patient to sleep, usually accomplished by giving a lethal injection. Dr. Jack Kevorkian, nicknamed “Doctor Death” due to his assistance of 130 terminally ill patients to end their lives, had made it his goal in life to influence the prohibition of both active euthanasia and assisted suicide in America. In 1999, the 72 year-old was arrested for second degree murder and sentenced to prison for 10 to 25 years. Doctors that practice euthanasia continue to risk charges of murder for helping individuals with a terminal illness that provided full consent to hasten their death. His arrest was unjust considering that Dr. Kevorkian had videotaped every patient verbally providing their consent. Physician assisted suicide is only legal in six states across America which are Oregon, Washington, Vermont, Montana, California and New Mexico. Euthanasia is illegal in most of the United States. This is a struggle for many patients because they must move to one of these states in order to gain access to the opportunity of dying with dignity.

Many years ago, in a small town in Michigan, a woman by the name of Janet Adkins was diagnosed with a horrifying illness known as Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer's Disease is an illness that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Early on in the diagnosis, she already believed that her life was over and did not want to deal with the upcoming side effects. To overcome this, she decided to end her life that was (to her) an easy and painless process; however, many considered she basically cheated her way out of life. Yet, she did not want to commit this act fully herself out of fear. So, she contacted Dr. Kevorkian (later on known as 'Dr. Death'). She believed that is someone assisted her in ending her life early, it would not be

People have different ideas of a good essay. Essays that are interesting to the readers. For an essay to be considered a good essay, it has to be entertaining, the readers should be able to picture an image in their mind. For many others, they may have different ideas about what a good writer is. For example, I don’t like it when writers give out too much information. They will describe things and go on and on about it. Others might like this, but I don’t like it when the writers do this. Most writers have one of the qualities that I think makes a good writer. They don’t have to have all three qualities for me to think that it’s a good essay.

The murderer is a physician, and the lethal weapon is euthanasia. Physicians, for years now, have been ending the lives of many dying patients. Moreover, many lives have been lost to euthanasia, too many that it clearly seems physicians have gone on a killing spree without permission. In source A , it is stated a discovery was made that 900 to 1,000 patients a year die from what is known as “ involuntary euthanasia”. This troubling revelation makes more than one person realize physicians have no work ethics. It is wrong that physicians end the lives of patients without the consent of the patients, or the patient’s