The doctors who decide who is eligible for assisted suicide are the same doctors who have been promoting Crisis Standards of Care that in an emergency would deny ventilators or beds for older, ill and disabled people. Ableism crossed with racism to end the life of Black quadriplegic Texan Michael Hickson, against the wishes of his wife and 5 children. The doctor’s “quality-of-life” justification for denying Michael treatment for COVID-19 was contradicted by a family video showing the joyful connection he had with his family. Disability advocacy organizations have filed complaints with the federal Office of Civil Rights. Decision-making was arbitrarily taken from Michael’s wife, while in other cases Do Not Resuscitate orders have been placed in patient files against their wishes.
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