Two Miscellaneous Vignettes

This case uses two vignettes to illustrate ethical questions that may occur at hospitals. In the first, 89-year old widow Theresa Addison is faced with the challenge of finding a facility that will care for her 47 year old son on a long term basis. Her son had been born with cerebral palsy, and facilities had deemed his situation futile. In the second vignette, hospital staff missed a key indicator during a newborn’s first baby wellness check, resulting in considerable brain necrosis.