Assisted Suicide
Published by Ruby Hawk on March 2, 2009 in USA & Canada-
31
Liked it 
Subscribe to RSS
There are divided opinions about assisted suicide but Carol Carr had no doubt about her decision when her two beloved children’s suffering became worse than death.
There is one woman who thinks assisted suicide should be legal and who can blame her?
A Griffin woman, Carol Car, killed her two sons who suffered horribly from Huntington’s disease. Her sons were the second generation to suffer from this dreaded disease. Her husband Hoyt Scott, lay in a nursing home for 13 years. Carol said,” There’s no reason for something like this to happen-lying in a body that doesn’t work,where you can’t talk to tell anyone where you hurt. They let you lay there with a feeding tube and you lay in your pee and stools.” “ They won’t let an animal suffer; they’re put to sleep. But there’s no money in keeping an animal alive.”
Image via Wikipedia
In 2002 Carol’s sons, Andy Scott 41, and Randy Scott 42, were in a nursing home, bed ridden and in advanced stages of Huntington’s disease, a degenerative nerve disorder that progressively robs those afflicted of muscle control. At the time of the killings Randy had been catheterized because of frequent bed wetting and was crying trying to pull the catheter out. Carol went into the nursing home with a .25 caliber semiautomatic and put a bullet behind the ear of Randy, then shot his brother Andy. She then sat down in a chair to wait for the police. When the police arrived she asked them to kill her. She pleaded guilty to assisting a suicide and was sentenced to 5 years in prison. She served two years.
Carol has another son James Scott who also suffers from Huntington’s disease. He supported his mother in the killings and went to the media to publicize Huntington’s disease. Carol was ordered to live away from James and cannot be named his primary caregiver. He lives in a small home seven miles away from his mother. James also believes assisted suicides should be legal.
“There should be an easier way than what we had to go through.” he said.” There should be a doctor to do this with medication.” James said he tried to get involved with efforts to legalize assisted suicide but it became too grueling. Carol said, “I wish I could do something but I am too old and tired.
Carol’s case was remembered last week after the arrest of two metro area people charged with assisting in the suicide of a Cummings man, John Celmer who was in remission from cancer. Families are split over this issue. Celmer’s mother, Betty, said the suspects should not face charges if they were carrying out his wishes.
James Scott gets upset talking about nursing homes. He said his brothers were perfect nursing home patients. They couldn’t move, couldn’t talk, and they made the nursing home money. “I never want to go to a nursing home.” he said.
I can see why she did what she did. It must be the hardest decision to make in your life. I really don’t know what I would do. God willing, I never have to think about making such a decision.
As far as horrific read go this was penultimate. No way! Everyone is sacred and special; I would have to save them.
Oh, Ruby, this is so heart breaking. God bless you . j
my fingers shake as i read this,this was so scary.God bless.I have nothing else to say.
Me heart dropped to my stomach. I don’t know what else to say.
Ruby this article tore at my heart. No one knows what they would have done until they have walked a mile in that mothers shoes. Excellent article Ruby and very well written
Outstanding article, what can any of us say, no-one can judge. Tragic and shocking.
I remember some what about that story about her. I beleive that it should be up to the person on what they need to do concerning illnesses. I’m not judgemetal about what others do. Everyone has thier own opions.
This is a very emotional story.
It’s disturbing maam, in my opinion as afar as Christianity is concerned, suicide, assisted or not, is taboo.
Such a controversial subject. So well written.
Christine
Thank you for sharing this article. Most people don’t understand what it is like to see someone you love in pain and suffering tremendously. No one has a right to say what they would do unless they have walked a mile in the shoes of someone that is dealing with it.
Great article, it made me sad.
It’s ironic that we can justifiably and legally execute a convict but force a vegetative person who is in pain to live on without any hope.
Great article Ruby and people who have never been in this situation may not feel that assisted suicide is good, but I took care of my mom the last 8 years of her life. She did not suffer until the end, but watching her suffering for the last month of her life was incredibly hard. I do understand way people do it and it is done out of love….
sad story, i can feel the pain, but who are we to take away someone’s life…
Well presented article on a very tough issue.
Bravo to you, Ruby, for taking on such a controversial subject. I have heard of this poor woman’s plight. I have to agree with Betty, I don’t think I could possibly imagine what I might have done had I been in her shoes. I don’t think it’s our place to judge. I’m certain what she did was out of love. I can only imagine how much it must have hurt.
What a sad story. How did you find the quotes? Do you know the family?
This is such a complex and emotionally charged topic. Much as I hate seeing a loved one suffer (My mom crying in the hospital, saying “I want to go to Heaven!), and if I let myself think about what my own death from the ravages of Parkinson’s (I will likely die of respiratory failure). But once we let that genie out of the bottle, it could quickly turn into the nightmare that the sick and elderly in the Netherlands are facing, where the cost factors are the bottom line, and paliative care is no longer a priority. Look at the abortion issue in Canada (probably similar in the states). 30 or so years ago, abortion was legalized, but it was to be strictly limited to medically necessary abortions. Now we have tax money paying for abortion on demand.
These are life and death issues, not ever easy to solve.
Karen has a good point about assisted suicide, like abortion it could be abused. Things are not always yes or no, black or white, I wish they were, awesome article.
a very good subject for debate.. I`m not ready for one so I`ll keep mum.. thanks for sharing..
I would have to agree with Cassandra, things are not always black and white, there are a lot of gray areas on the subject of assisted suicide. I hope to God, I will never have to make that decision. Excellent article Ruby!!
Ruby–very difficult topic to carry–as some debate begins within your comment section here. Your own argument becomes more poignant when you include names and their inherent relationship ties: critical factors when a decision such as this is explored. I fell in love, at one time, with a woman who carried the genetic code for Huntington’s–she in many ways opted for social suicide. I understand.
I would like to say that I could never take the life of my child, who can really say that for sure? When we see them suffering that way and if they asked us to, how do we know that we wouldn\\\\\\\’t do it for them? I just am not positive one way or the other in a case like that whether I would or not. Thanks for posting this Ruby.
Johnny Yuma
Ruby,
I saw this on 60 minutes a few years ago. I remember thinking how could a mother kill her own children. Now, I have a handicapped daughter and have a different perspective. I can not have any more children, I am an only child, and my only uncle is an alcoholic. In other words, when I die, my child will not have anyone to care for her. So, I struggle with leaving a child that can not talk, walk, sit up, etc.. alone to be cared for with all the evil that is in the world. It is horrific to say, but I really do hope that she passes on before me because I really do not know if I can leave her to the mercy of others.
There are tons of good reasons for this practice, to play devils advocate here, who are we to say someone must live? If you do not want to live it should be your choice. though I would definetly suggest a waiting period. I know I have sometimes wished for an end, for me it has always passed, for some it may not. Anyone who wno longer wants to live is going to do what their going to do. Why should someone have to suffer because they cant get help to go ahead in spirit?
Its easy to judge others but very hard to understand from there point of view. The act was definitely out of love. Society has rules which may not always suit others. This is a very difficult topic. I wish we find some answers someday soon… Thanks for posting. It really touched me..
Chilling story, thanks for sharing
Thank you my friends. I hope none of us ever have to face this unbelieveable situation. But most likely some of us will.My mother suffered horribly her last few days and if she had to continue to suffer as she did I think I could have pulled the trigger. Who knows what anyone would do if they had to see loved ones suffer year after year as Carol Carr did. Doctors used to use their own judgement about their critically ill patients, but now with so many law suits and someone looking over the doctors shoulder, I suppose they don’t risk it anymore. It is a hard question to answer unless it’s your loved one suffering.
It’s so hard to know until you’re RIGHT THERE. This was well written, interesting and an emotional read for me. I love your writing, and your bravery.
I can only imagine how hard that must have been to see her children suffering like that and to be the one to end it for them. That must have been a really hard decision to make. I wasn’t familiar with this story at all. Thanks for sharing it with us, Ruby.
I could never imagine going through this. However, if someone I loved was suffering, and the only way to ease the pain was to consider this,it could be possible.
No easy answers. That poor woman. What an absolutely horrible ordeal.
WOW. Can;t imagine the torment involved, both those with the disease and the families involved.
Thanks,
Clay
I never heard this story, you wrote it with great elegance. Its a very controversial thing, and as many have said I have no idea what I would do. Thank you for enlightining me with a different perspective.
I’m speechless. Poor woman. And Ruby, thanks for bringing this news. It makes us think a lot. We can’t only blame others.
Poor woman. Thanks for raising attention.
Controversial subject indeed, Im having a hard time absorbing the whole thing.
You covered an extremely sensitive topic with such grace, well done!
my gosh, this story is heartbreaking… it brought tears to my eyes!
Thank you for this, as you say we won’t let an animal suffer. I know there are some hard questions around this issue but no one should have to suffer like that and this woman did what she felt was right.
Very sad story. It makes you wish that healing were a normal thing. I can not say that I would want to kill myself no matter how much the pain. But I can not judge anyone, even if I had gone through something like that. I am not them.
This is so sad! It must be the most terrible thing to have to go through.
Jo, I can understand what you are going through and I too would rather see a beloved helpless child pass on before me. It would be heartbreaking to leave one behind. It is a hard question.
I have read all the comments and I have to agree with the group. First there is not a black and white. This is a terrible and sad story with no right or wrong. When can you judge that a persons life should come to any end and how do you know you should help them end it. This is a hard one.
Difficult story and issue.
I can’t say either way…what a horrible decision to have to make. I know here in Michigan the state sent Dr. Kavorkian away for assisted suicides..unsure how I feel about it.
It is such a shame that society – and it must be said the medical profession – put people in to situations like this.
I responded to an article like this before and was called was told that I was heartless and called a murderer of my family. My answer before was short and simple but it’s still the same.
In my selfishness I don’t think I would be able to do it. However, I think that if it was something they verbally said and truly wanted rather than to suffer, I might. Assuming it was legal…you know know like putting an animal to sleep.
I’ve been put in a similar situation with someone I love very much but I couldn’t do it. So she had to suffer till almost the very end to which she was taken to the Vet yes the Vet by my mother. I didn’t even get to be there.
Knowing that I wasn’t strong enough to end her suffering while she was my dog, how could I for a human because really she was the only person I’ve thought I couldn’t live without.
I think euthanasia should be legalized for those who have the choice to make it. Otherwise I think that all should be done to save the person.
I know I would rather die than suffer the embarrassment of not even being able to go to the bathroom or bath on my own. To have once been full of life and strength and then by age or sickness not even being able to get out of bed.
I remember watching this on tv. Snapped I belive the show was on the oxygen channel.I kind of felt the mothers pain.