When the elderly man was brought to their hospital, the doctors felt completely helpless. He needed immediate medical attention, but they began to hesitate. The patient died while the medics discussed what to do.
The reason for this was an unusual tattoo.
That day, the ambulance received a distress call for a 70-year-old man in urgent need of medical attention. The ambulance was called by passersby who found him in critical condition on a Miami street.
When they reviewed his medical history, they learned that he had been suffering from a serious lung disease for a very long period of time.
They also learned that the man lived in a nursing home, so there was no point in looking for any of his relatives.
This case was perhaps the only time when health workers felt helpless. And not because they didn't know how to help the patient. Upon examination, they discovered an unusual tattoo on the man's chest.
Large, in black letters – the tattoo was the inscription Do not resuscitate.
Furthermore, the word “no” was further emphasized, and the patient’s personal signature was written underneath the phrase. This made the doctors hesitate whether to continue the rescue.
The tattoo sparked a discussion among hospital staff about what to do with the man. For one thing, the tattoo probably didn't have the same legal force as a formal declaration that he didn't want to be resuscitated.
On the other hand, the patient had put a lot of effort into expressing his will. The question also arose that the tattoo was probably old and might not be relevant today. Therefore, there was a high probability that since the moment of its application, the person had changed his position and in the specific situation it was no longer valid.
The thing is, in the US, it is common practice to make statements like DNR or DNAR (respectively “Do Not Resuscitate” or “Do Not Attempt to Resuscitate”).
This is an official legal document that allows a person to conclude that they have been suffering from a serious or incurable illness for a long time. By doing so, the patient demonstrates their desire not to receive qualified help in the event of an attack.
Patients from France, Canada, the United States, and other countries make such statements before major surgeries. They explain their decision by saying they don't want to fall into a coma or go through all the suffering again.
In this case, however, the tattoo could not be taken for granted, so the doctors sought a document to show his wishes. The task was not easy, because the document was drawn up after the last operation, which was performed many years earlier.
Since then, he has only experienced minor ailments. And this heart attack was the first in a long time that was truly life-threatening.
When the document was finally discovered, the doctors listened to the patient's wishes and left everything to fate.
As we see, there are people in the world who prefer to face their death with dignity rather than fight for their lives. One way or another, we must remember that this is their right and we cannot judge them.
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