The Case of Sarah

Abstract

Sarah was brought to the university hospital in Jerusalem suffering from various ailments related to her advanced age and generally weakened condition. She died several days later, unaware of the conflicts that surrounded her death. She was unaware of the decisions that had to be made, the conflicts over the nature of suffering and the importance of the quality of her life that would be involved in the decisions over how to care for her in her last days and hours. Instead, she quietly passed away, unable to convey to those making the decisions her final wishes and desires. That task was left to her eldest daughter, who would continue to ponder these questions long after her mother had passed away.