Saying Goodbye to Daniel [Hardcover]

Juleit Cassuto Rothman (Author), Juliet C. Rothman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1995

A mother's moving account of her son's illness.

"(V)ividly reflects the ethical debates surrounding the removal of life support". -- Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the age of 21, having just finished his junior year at Rochester University as a pre-med student, Daniel Rothman suffered a spinal cord injury in a diving accident. Treated in Rochester and then moved to Craig Hospital in Denver, considered the nation's best for rehabilitating quadriplegics, Daniel saw his condition steadily deteriorate. His mother, Juliet, who had written her Ph.D. dissertation on life-support decision-making, and his physician father eventually received the prognosis that he would never breathe, speak, eat or drink unassisted again. Moreover, he suffered from continual blood clots, unexplained fevers, wounds that wouldn't heal and headaches. Because he was of age, Daniel had to make the life-or-death decision himself, and he determined to die. This harrowing account grapples with tough moral choices and provides a list of resources for those facing them. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Rothman's experience teaching philosophy and ethics at Catholic University's School of Social Services and her 20 years as a social worker in a long-term care facility suggests her experience in dealing with the end-of-life decisions of family members. In fact, her dissertation dealt with life-support decision-making in terminal illness. But none of this prepared her for watching her 21-year-old son struggle with those decisions after an accident left him a quadriplegic with increasingly failing health. Rothman shares here a mother's experience from the phone call informing her of her son's accident through two and a half months at his bedside watching his health deteriorate. Her gripping narrative vividly reflects the ethical debates surrounding the withdrawal of life support. Rothman weakens the book, however, with her three epilogs. Still, this is an excellent addition to grief or medical ethics collections.?KellyJo Houtz Griffin, Northwest Hospital, Seattle
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 180 pages
• Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826408575
• ISBN-13: 978-0826408570
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,287,839 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent, May 2, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (florida,usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saying Goodbye to Daniel (Hardcover)

My mother also suffered a high level spinal cord injury and reading this book helped me understand what to expect and helped me with her decision to terminate her own life support.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb book with lessons to be learned, April 6, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Saying Goodbye to Daniel (Hardcover)

This book by far expresses why it is so important to be prepared for the inevitable. What Daniel and his family go through is amazing. I applaud his mother for her support while he was undergoing treatment even though she, herself, was in such pain and agony over his situation. This is a must read for everyone. It will make you hug your child and be happy for every day they are with you.