A Case Study of Maria Corp's Unresponsive State

Maria Corp was left in a vegetative state with no meaningful sense of the world. Her nourishment came from a tube that sewed liquid nutrition directly into her stomach. Muscles were withering due to inactivity. Heart attack and infection could cause death at any moment. The likelihood of recovery was considered exceedingly small. Maria's situation was compounded by the fact she had no legal guardian. A guardianship hearing was held, in which a judge tasked the job to public advocate Julian Gardner. He quizzed doctors, specialists, physicians, neurologists and palliative care specialists who all gave their opinions on Maria's health. Some saw prolonging her life through medical intervention as unnatural. They didn