Human Dignity, Disability & Bioethics

Flanders criticizes a New York Times feature about a business providing assisted-death services after New York's legalization. She argues that commercial promotion of assisted death conflicts with suicide prevention and the purpose of healthcare.

A baby named Gabriel was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a severe congenital heart defect requiring multiple surgeries and lifelong care, after his surrogate, McKenna West, refused to abort him despite the biological parents' request. New York Presbyterian notes that without treatment, HLHS is fatal within weeks, but with surgery, 72% survive to age five and 90% of those survive to adulthood, highlighting the serious medical challenges faced by babies like Gabriel.