Real-Life Decision Making
You've just received an important telephone call. An elderly man is
in the final stages of terminal cancer. Months ago, when the man was first
diagnosed, he contacted your facility requesting that his body be placed in
suspended animation. The hope is that someday, when a cure for cancer is found,
he will be brought back to life.
At the time, you flew to see him, bringing several contracts with you.
Carefully, you went over each one, making sure that he understood the process
and what the total costs would be. Besides transporting and freezing his body,
there are also annual costs for maintaining his body at your suspension facility.
Before leaving, you urged him to discuss his decision with family members.
He promised to do so.
Now the time has come. You need to be with the man as he's dying,
so that the process of cooling down and freezing the body can begin as soon
as possible. Along with a team of scientists, technicians, and other clinic
members, you fly to the man's hometown.
Like many terminally ill patients, the man wants to die at home, surrounded
by his loved ones. You grab a taxi from the airport to his house.
Your problems begin the minute you enter the house. It's immediately
apparent that the family is extremely upset about the situation. The fact
that your client waited until the last minute to tell them of his wish to
be put in suspended animation doesn't help.
On top of that, they resent your presence at this important time. Dying
is a private matter, and they want to be alone with the man in his final days.
Instead, they are forced to share space with your team and all your equipment.
As the days pass, the tension gets worse. What can you do? Do you bluntly
tell the family that they have no choice but to accept the situation? After
all, you have a signed contract. Or do you try to change your procedure in
a way that takes their feelings into account?