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Last month the Teagart family
of Cedar Mill, Oregon |
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set off a firestorm
of controversy |
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after petitioning the state
for the right to end the life |
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of their 13 year old
brain-dead daughter. |
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Jean Ann Whorton takes us
beyond the facts. |
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Caitlin Teagart was a beautiful,
lively girl |
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who loved laughing
and playing outside, |
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but all that changed
at the age of 12. |
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Caitlin slipped into a persistent
vegetative state, |
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confining her almost entirely
to her bed and Facebook. |
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She doesn't even have
basic motor functions any more. |
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We literally have to drag her
to the car |
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to drive her to school
in the morning. |
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She's totally unresponsive
when we talk to her. |
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Her eyes just roll back
in her head. |
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Caitlin, honey?
It's your dad. |
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With no hope that their daughter
would ever recover, |
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the Teagarts decided to seek
legal permission |
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to end Caitlin's life.
|
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It is the most difficult decision
we've ever had to make |
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but we just
keep reminding ourselves |
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that the real Caitlin
is already gone. |
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That's just her body texting.
|
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But the Teagarts
soon found themselves |
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at the center
of a heated controversy |
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as euthanasia opposition groups
mobilized to stop them. |
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These protesters say the groans
and exasperated sighs |
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Caitlin sometimes makes
prove there is hope for recovery. |
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But the Teagarts' physician,
Doctor Kevin DeBacker disagrees. |
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The sounds and movements
that Caitlin makes |
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are caused by random synapses
|
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firing in what's left
of her brain tissue |
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as a response to atmospheric
changes, |
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like it being cold
in a restaurant, |
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or her mother
bursting into her room |
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even though there is
a little thing called privacy. |
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Doctor DeBacker believes
euthanasia is a humane way |
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to end Caitlin's suffering.
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We give her one painless injection,
and that's it. |
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Her eyes may flutter a bit
or she may murmur: |
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"Are you for real
killing me right now?", |
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but then her struggle
will finally be over. |
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Back at the Teagart home,
|
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the family is already preparing
for life without Caitlin. |
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It's hard, but we know
we're making the right decision. |
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Her organs can help
other children. |
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We can give her eyes
to someone |
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who would actually use them
to read a book. |
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I have cramps.
|
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And I don't even...
|
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What would you tell
other parents? |
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I want parents out there to go home
tonight and hug their kids |
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and be thankful they don't have
such a piss-poor attitude. |
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For Beyond The Facts,
I'm Jean Ann Whorton. |
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Three days ago
Caitlin's life was legally ended. |
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Caitlin, by the way,
was the first Oregon resident |
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to undergo the procedure
since 2009 |
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when a dentist
had his receptionist euthanized |
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after she was unable to perform
any function |
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other than eating all the candy
in the waiting room. |
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A recent study from
the Centers for Disease Control |
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finds that over 100 million
children are being exposed |
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to harmful levels of stupidity
in their own homes. |
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Hear the debate about
second-hand ignorance |
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on the next In The Know.
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