Can Medicine Fix a Broken Story?

doi:10.1017/9781009400886.008

Chapter 7 - Can Medicine Fix a Broken Story?

When a Broken Body Is Only Part of the Tragedy

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 December 2025

Joel T. Wu ,

Justin Penny and

Jaime Konerman-Sease

Edited by

Denise M. Dudzinski ,

Kaarkuzhali Babu Krishnamurthy and

Paul J. Ford

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Denise M. Dudzinski: Affiliation:
University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle
Kaarkuzhali Babu Krishnamurthy: Affiliation:
Boston Medical Center-Brighton
Paul J. Ford: Affiliation:
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland

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Summary

Jo was admitted to our hospital for complex pain and complications of intestinal failure. An 18-year-old with a complex medical and psychiatric history, Jo had been frequently hospitalized for suicidal ideation, chronic pain, and complications from intestinal dysmotility. Ethics was consulted during this stay because Jo requested to stop artificial nutrition and hydration and be allowed to die with support from hospice care. Throughout this case, the care team had concerns for capacity, honoring a patient’s right to refuse medical care, caring for a patient with a history of trauma, belonging to the LGBTQ+ community, with a chronic illness. This case explores the complex course of Jo’s case and identifies ethical options that fit within the narrative of this patient’s complex story.

Keywords

withdrawing medical interventions chronic illness LGBTQ+ healthcare decision-making capacity adolescent narrative bioethics psychiatric ethics

Information

Type: Chapter
Information: Complex Ethics Consultations
Cases That Haunt Us in a New Era
, pp. 49 - 55

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009400886.008 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2026

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