The following legal document (name and address
disguised) was what was offered to my mother for her signature by her
attorney. It was fortunate that I was visiting when it arrived. When
I questioned it, the lawyer stated that this was the precise wording
as approved by the Florida legislature and provided him (by the
bar?). He offered it to my mother with no explanations or warnings. That was
left to me, her son. I have added bold italics to aid discussion.
LIVING WILL
This Declaration is made this
_____ day
of __________________,
2006. I, MRS. PAPA
FERVOR, willfully and voluntarily make known my desire that my dying
not be artificially prolonged under the circumstances set forth
below, and I do hereby declare that, if at any time I am
incapacitated and as defined below:
(1) ___________
I have a Terminal
Condition; or (Initial)
(2) ____________
I have an End-Stage
Condition; or (Initial)
(3) ____________
I am in a Persistent
Vegetative State (Initial)
and if my
attending or treating physician and another consulting physician
have determined that there is no reasonable medical probability of my
recovery from such condition, I direct that life-prolonging
procedures be withheld or withdrawn when the application of such
procedures would serve only to prolong artificially the process of
dying, and that I be permitted to die naturally with only the
administration of medication or the performance of any medical
procedure deemed necessary to provide me with comfort care or to
alleviate pain. [emphasis added]
It is my intention that
this declaration be honored by my family and physician as the
final expression of my legal right to refuse medical or surgical
treatment and accept the consequences of such refusal.
[emphasis added]
For purposes hereof:
(1) Terminal Condition means a
condition caused by injury, disease, or illness from which there is
no reasonable medical probability of recovery and
which, without treatment, can be
expected to cause death.
(2) End-state Condition means an
irreversible condition that is caused by
injury, disease, or illness
which has resulted in progressively severe and permanent
deterioration, and which, to a reasonable degree of medical
probability, treatment of the condition would be ineffective.
(3) Persistent Vegetative State
means a permanent and irreversible condition of unconsciousness in
which there is:
(a) The absence of voluntary
action or cognitive behavior of any kind.
(b) An inability to communicate
or interact purposefully with the environment.
I understand the full
import of this declaration, and I am emotionally and mentally
competent to make this declaration. [emphasis added]
Additional
Instructions (optional):
Witnesses:
MRS. PAPA FERVOR
Print
Name:
86 Down the Garden Path
Address
Retirement City, Florida
33000
Zip Code
Print
Name:
Phone
STATE
OF FLORIDA
COUNTY
OF BROWARD
I HEREBY CERTIFY that on this
day, before me, an officer duly authorized in the State and County
aforesaid to take acknowledgments, the foregoing instrument was
acknowledged before me by MRS. PAPA FERVOR, who is
personally known to me or who has produced
________________________________as identification.
WITNESS my hand and official
seal in the County and State last aforesaid this ______
day of
______________________,
2006.