A woman named C has been granted permission to die by the court of protection. Described as impulsive and self-centered, the 50-year old woman fears that with the passing of her beauty and youth means the end of everything that "sparkles" in her life.
The Guardian reports that the King's College Hospital NHS Trust has been told that C is competent enough to refuse the kidney dialysis after destroying her kidneys in a suicide attempt.
Although the woman's decision to refuse treatment may be deemed as unwise and even immoral to some, Mr. Justice MacDonald said that she is still the sovereign of her own body and mind and was entitled to make such decision.
Mirror UK further reports that MacDonald has outlined his justification in a written ruling published on a legal website.
However, specialists had argued that C had a dysfunctional of the mind that led her to refuse treatment. NHS Trust, which takes care of her, asked the judge to impose treatment as this was for her best interests.
And MacDonald dismissed the application.
Having been diagnosed with breast cancer, C had taken abused alcohol. Although she did not die, she caused her kidneys such extensive damage that required dialysis which she refused to undergo.
"My decision does no more than confirm that in law C is entitled to refuse the treatment offered to her for her benefit by her dedicated treating team. Nothing I have said prevents them from continuing to offer that treatment."
The woman was reported to have a number of daughters including one she had during her teens. She also had a grandchild the judge heard. Before she attempted suicide, she had faced numerous problems including failed marriages and financial difficulties.
The judge also examined evidence from psychiatrists and medics, and information provided by one of her daughters. According to the daughter, she was a woman who had a fairly glamorous life. Her mother did not want to be poor, ugly or old. The most important thing to her mom was her sparkly lifestyle.
Although her daughters feel that it was a horrible decision and they do not like the decision at all, they couldn't deny the fact that their mom wanted it.
