Comment by gwbas1c

> My son is alive, but all of his higher mental functions have been wiped out. He still sleeps and wakes, breathes under his own power, and responds to certain stimuli, but he makes no intentional movements. He moves reflexively, and occasionally smiles and even laughs, but he can't speak and it's not clear what degree of awareness he still has of his situation, if any.

I remember when my mom got to that state when she was dying from cancer. I looked at my wife and told her that, when I'm at that state, feed me pain killers to move things along. (I didn't do that with my mom because she expressly told me that she didn't want euthanasia.)

But, when someone is in that state, is speeding along the inevitable really euthanasia? My mom was find with painkillers, even if they shortened her life by a few hours. I understand that the living need more time. (I wish I had more time with my mom.)