Blog Post #9: Advance Directive

Amity Tran

HON 101

Schultz

27 October 2016

Blog Post #9: Advance Directive

My grandfather passed away from throat cancer in Vietnam a few decades ago. Before he passed, my aunt, who had immigrated to America, pleaded with him to let her bring him over so he can receive treatment for his cancer. He adamantly refused because he did not want to leave behind the life he had built in Vietnam. Instead, he chose to let the cancer take its course. Near the end of his life, he asked his family to put him in a basket and throw him into the river because he felt like his pain was a burden for the family. I was mortified. When my mother told me this story, I could not understand his decision. Honestly, I thought it was stupid. Why would you choose death over life?

I was nine years old when I heard that story, and at the time, death was unfathomable. One should always choose to live no matter what. Even now, being eighteen years old, I sometimes feel like nothing can happen to me, but then I hear stories of people close to my age dying. I imagine myself in their shoes. What would I do if I were in their situation? If I was in a state where I was unable to speak for myself, I would want my mother to make health-care decisions for me. I trust that she would make the right decision, even if she decides that it was better for me to pass. Even though my family probably would not be okay with this decision due to religious reasons, I would choose to donate my organs. Even though I am unable to use my body anymore, it may be useful to someone else. As for resuscitation, unless doctors are 100% certain I will never recover to my normal, healthy state, I would want to be resuscitated.

Death is something that is really hard for me to think about because I have seen it happen a few times, but eventually, I will have to realize that nothing lasts forever. As of now, I would like to live at all costs because I have so much more to experience. However, I think as I grow older and my idea of life and living changes, maybe I will understand why my grandfather chose to make the decision he did.