It would be cruel to prosecute this woman...

[Mabouya]

... but Florida being Florida, I wouldn't be surprised if they do.

However, I can't imagine any jury anywhere convicting her.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/21/u...smid=share-url

Wife Fatally Shot Terminally Ill Husband in Florida Hospital, Police Say

Ellen Gilland, 76, had made a pact with her 77-year-old husband and had planned to also fatally shoot herself, but, in the end, “she couldn’t go through with it,” the police said.
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Chief Young said it appeared that the couple had planned for Mr. Gilland to shoot himself, but he lacked the strength. “So she had to carry it out for him,” he said.

Ms. Gilland could face a first-degree murder charge, Chief Young said. The State Attorney’s Office in the 7th Judicial Circuit did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment on Saturday.

Ms. Gilland was taken to the Volusia County Jail on Saturday afternoon.

“She’s very sad,” Chief Young said. “This is obviously a — it’s a tough situation.”

Ms. Gilland had been in a “depressed state,” he said, because she understood that Mr. Gilland was terminally ill and that the “end was near.”

[Peter Polack]

Her admission of motive, depression after the act, and the standoff with police, don't give her a pass unfortunately. If it did, then mercy killing would be legal but do it at home, NOT AT A HOSPITAL.

She'll likely be convicted of a lesser crime.

[Drew]

I find it incredibly f***ed up that we can do this to animals and nobody blinks.

[j44ke]

Having experienced the death of my mother and two close friends from cancer, I can say that the American health system basically deserts the terminally ill. There are palliative care programs here and there, and individual specialists who’ve taken care of the dying - and maybe this has changed - but there are few programs that coordinate the transition from survival care to terminal care. Very lonely moment for the person - spouse, friend, whoever - primarily responsible for care, even in a hospital context. In my experiences, there was always a moment where someone had to start yelling at medical staff or insurance or hospice administrators and demand that support be given. And even then, it was only by finding that single nurse or a teaching doctor whose interest or calling was in life to death care & counseling - by happenstance! - that things started to flow towards preparation for death. Very frustrating.

[ldamelio]

Most regions have decent palliative care resources to prevent this kind of tragedy. There are underlying issues however, with access. They're complicated and involve issues of capacity, insurance/payment, and well-intended (or rarely, not well-intended) efforts to treat terminal cancer on the part of oncologists or other physicians . The capacity and payment systems as well as general societal expectations regarding treatment (witness the innumerable TV commercials for oncologic monoclonals implying immortality) are disincentives to the growth of decent palliative care in the U.S. Despite this, availability is increasing but not fast enough to keep pace with need. 50% (some say 60) of Medicare dollars are spent in the LAST SIX MONTHS OF LIFE in this country. I could write 100 pages on why. It's not all evil, but it is all effed up and there's lots of blame to go around both within and outside the health care industry.

I feel very sorry for this poor woman and hope that the legal system goes very easy on her. It would, however, be a poor precedent to give her a complete pass. Oncologic prognoses are tricky and guns are rampant - it's not difficult to imagine someone else shooting a spouse with a cancer diagnosis for less noble reasons.

[NYCfixie]

Move to Oregon (assuming that is an option).
Death with Dignity Act

How to Die in Oregon

[Too Tall]

Lou said it, so no need to prognosticate were things to have processed to a better outcome.

That said, I say she was overcome with temporary madness and is entirely innocent of the act. Give her a fine for the gun and pay for her counseling....if I were king.

[Marvinlungwitz]

A bit off topic, but not entirely unrelated:

https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/20...ng-past-75.cnn

[Too Tall]

A bit off topic, but not entirely unrelated:

https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/20...ng-past-75.cnn

I get it BUT what a dumarse to eschewing anti-biotics. His valid request engages a principle I do not disagree with "if you look (too hard) you may find something" and that something may compel medical diligence blah blah blah.

Is he writing a book? kidding/not kidding

[bigbill]

My mother in law had Parkinson's and it had advanced to the point she would spend much of her day in a catatonic state. She could no longer communicate or recognize anyone. The care facility called when she refused to eat or drink and she was moved to palliative care where she was made comfortable with medications. My wife and her aunt (mom's sister) flew up to Wyoming to say goodbyes. She lived another week, mostly because she was a physically healthy woman (6', 180#). She was given morphine and meds to make sure her last hours weren't spent gasping for breath. The care is expensive but covered by Medicare.

[Bobonli]

Reckless disregard for human life. Shooting someone, even if it's for compassionate reasons, also risks the lives of others. Bullets don't always go where you want them. She put other people's lives in danger.

Also don't make a pact you don't or can't follow through on. "Couldn't" or "wouldn't" ?

[Too Tall]

My mother in law had Parkinson's and it had advanced to the point she would spend much of her day in a catatonic state. She could no longer communicate or recognize anyone. The care facility called when she refused to eat or drink and she was moved to palliative care where she was made comfortable with medications. My wife and her aunt (mom's sister) flew up to Wyoming to say goodbyes. She lived another week, mostly because she was a physically healthy woman (6', 180#). She was given morphine and meds to make sure her last hours weren't spent gasping for breath. The care is expensive but covered by Medicare.

If you are talking Hospice I know from experience. They all go to heaven three times. Amazing org. of people.

[bigbill]

If you are talking Hospice I know from experience. They all go to heaven three times. Amazing org. of people.

I am talking about hospice. It was a separate section of the care facility. Low lighting, soft voices, and the patient being left alone for hours at a time. When my grandmother was in home hospice in the 80s, the nurse said we should go for a few hours because she was hanging on for us. Sure enough, she passed during the early morning hours. My MIL was a vibrant and active woman until Parkinson's took over. She was also an exceptionally strong lifetime rancher and farmer. Another patient would get in her face and yell at her. The nurses would stop it, but one particular day, they heard her yelling, and then nothing. She was unconscious on the floor. My MIL had knocked her out. It's amazing what the mind can and cannot do.

[TonyP]

I am talking about hospice. It was a separate section of the care facility. Low lighting, soft voices, and the patient being left alone for hours at a time. When my grandmother was in home hospice in the 80s, the nurse said we should go for a few hours because she was hanging on for us. Sure enough, she passed during the early morning hours. My MIL was a vibrant and active woman until Parkinson's took over. She was also an exceptionally strong lifetime rancher and farmer. Another patient would get in her face and yell at her. The nurses would stop it, but one particular day, they heard her yelling, and then nothing. She was unconscious on the floor. My MIL had knocked her out. It's amazing what the mind can and cannot do.

My hat is off to your MIL.

[JoB]

Also don't make a pact you don't or can't follow through on. "Couldn't" or "wouldn't" ?

Yeah, it's so easy. Your empathy is remarkable.

[Marvinlungwitz]

I get it BUT what a dumarse to eschewing anti-biotics. His valid request engages a principle I do not disagree with "if you look (too hard) you may find something" and that something may compel medical diligence blah blah blah.

Is he writing a book? kidding/not kidding

He is somewhat inconsistent - he said he’d have an orthopedic surgery to remain ambulatory. Antibiotics for an easily curable infection doesn’t seem unreasonable and is in same vein, imo.

But I think the general idea of minimizing or eliminating screening and aggressive medical procedures is food for thought, and we should all think more about what we want to do with ourselves as the years mount (whoops, that’s advocating the Death Squads).

[thollandpe]

A tough situation and sad that they didn’t have somebody, anybody, helping them. To say you can’t bring a gun into a hospital.

After she shot him in the head she stayed in the room and refused to drop the gun, which triggered a standoff with police.

So the police used a flash-bang grenade and a bean bag gun — on a 76-year-old lady?

Tough situation indeed.

[rwsaunders]

A tough situation and sad that they didn’t have somebody, anybody, helping them. To say you can’t bring a gun into a hospital.

After she shot him in the head she stayed in the room and refused to drop the gun, which triggered a standoff with police.

So the police used a flash-bang grenade and a bean bag gun — on a 76-year-old lady?

Tough situation indeed.

Plus the unwritten part of the story…the trauma experienced by the staff and the cleanup of a shooting scene…sad situation anyway that you see it.

[bcm119]

California passed the dying with dignity thing as well. My partner's uncle recently took advantage of it - he was terminal, and chose to drink the "potion" in his garden surrounded by his family. Seems like a far better choice than lying in a hospital for another few weeks racking up bills and keeping your loved ones on pins and needles. I can't understand why this isn't legal everywhere, it should be a basic human right. When my dad was in his last days at a hospital in NY, he was heard muttering, "I wish I had a f-ing gun."