Schiavo redux?

I dread to think of the uproar we should expect when the "right to lifers" get wind of this story. Results are clearly preliminary and the patient studied is now showing other signs of recovery. Nonetheless this undoubtedly will stir up the arguments, and the emotions, from the Terry Schiavo case again. Overly dramatic headlines, such as this one from the Yorkshire Post ("Woman in Coma Can Play Tennis in Head") will be less than helpful.

The subject of PVS (persistent vegetative state) is a difficult one and when religion gets involved the likelihood of dispassionate discussion diminishes to near zero. As medical science pushes forward even further society as a whole needs to have a dialogue about maintaining the quality to life and the boundaries of euthanasia. Clear legal and reasonable guidelines need to be established which do not impinge on a patient's religious or philosophical beliefs. Clearly the right of an individual to define, in advance of illness or injury, how they wish to be cared for (or not) in circumstances such as these needs to be respected including, or at least so I think, the right to die.

I know that I for one do not wish to be trapped my body with no way to live out my life fruitfully even if the word "tennis" causes electrons to fire about in my brain.