Three Farewells: Medicine and the End of Life
From the 6-part series Ethics in America II (2007)

This program looks at the difficult choices a loving family makes as they confront the end of life. When a seemingly perfect pregnancy ends with unforeseen complications and the newborn suffers a very severe brain injury, how should the parents decide what is best for their baby? When, a few years later, the baby's grandmother descends into dementia from Alzheimer's, should her earlier wish to forego all medical treatment be honored, even though she may no longer understand - or agree - with the statements she made when she was competent? Still later, another family member receives a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. If she is terminally ill, should she be able to avail herself of medications to aid her in dying? Fred Friendly Seminars invites a diverse, intellectual group of panelists to face the difficult issue of ethics in medicine.

Funder: Annenberg Media