A Crime of Compassion
A CRIME OF COMPASSION This woman is not a murderer. Barbara Huttmann is a long time nurse who gave a man named Mac his wish to just die and not continue to suffer. Mac had terminal cancer, was on loads of pain medication that wasn’t working and at a hospital where the policy was to resuscitate any patient that stopped breathing. But he begged her to stop them from resuscitating him and so she did. What Huttmann did was not wrong. Mac had the right to die with dignity and not suffer any longer. The team would rush in after the code button is pushed, get the patient breathing again, and leave the nurse to clean the patient up. He would moan in pain and beg Huttmann to stop them every time. Huttmann begged and pleaded with the Doctor put a no code order on Mac but refused due his beliefs and hospital policies. “We resuscitated him fifty-two times in one month.” (Huttmann 344) Huttmann had been his nurse for six months
Stadler 3 which was long enough for her to know Mac, a well-respected police officer and his wife Maura well. “It was also long enough to watch Maura’s transformation from a young woman to a haggard, beaten old lady.” (Huttmann 344) Maura has had enough too. Maura sat there for six months and watched her husband battle this horrible disease and then had to sit there and watch him suffer as the hospital team continued to save him numerous times. All of this is occurring regardless of what the family said. This is not what Mac and Maura wanted for him. Regardless of Mac and Maura’s wishes they continued to resuscitate him everytime. Until Huttmann finally decided to do as the patient wished. “Nothing I have done in my 47 years has taken so much effort as it took not to press that code button.” (Huttmann 345) She did it, Huttmann waited until she knew for certain Mac could not be resuscitated again, and then she pushed that button. Just then Maura
Stadler 3 which was long enough for her to know Mac, a well-respected police officer and his wife Maura well. “It was also long enough to watch Maura’s transformation from a young woman to a haggard, beaten old lady.” (Huttmann 344) Maura has had enough too. Maura sat there for six months and watched her husband battle this horrible disease and then had to sit there and watch him suffer as the hospital team continued to save him numerous times. All of this is occurring regardless of what the family said. This is not what Mac and Maura wanted for him. Regardless of Mac and Maura’s wishes they continued to resuscitate him everytime. Until Huttmann finally decided to do as the patient wished. “Nothing I have done in my 47 years has taken so much effort as it took not to press that code button.” (Huttmann 345) She did it, Huttmann waited until she knew for certain Mac could not be resuscitated again, and then she pushed that button. Just then Maura
Cited: Huttman, Barbara “A Crime of Compassion” Models for Writers. 10th ed. Eds. Alfred Rosa and Paul Escholz. Bedford/St.Martin: Boston, 2010. 343-346