To Die Well: A Catholic Neurosurgeon's Guide to the End of Life

Charlene Rack discusses Stephen E. Doran's new guide to end-of-life issues for Catholics.

To claim the right to abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia … means to attribute to human freedom a perverse and evil significance.  (Evangelium Vitae, Pope John Paul II 

To Die Well: A Catholic Neurosurgeon's Guide to the End of Life by Stephen E. Doren is the most comprehensive guide/resource available for end-of-life questions for Catholics that I have ever seen! Dr. Doren is an accomplished Neurosurgeon with many years of practicing medicine. His book is based on his first-hand knowledge of the decisions that people face when they or their loved ones are given tragic diagnoses, or when accidents happen and loved ones are non-responsive. “Brain death” is one of the most misunderstood and scariest things for families to deal with. This topic is covered in great detail, providing all information needed to make the right decision. Explanations and things to know about organ donation follows closely on its heels.

We often prefer not to think of such things until the need is urgent, but questionable practices these days by some medical providers requires that we know the tenets of our faith in regard to death and dying. Many countries (including the United States) offer euthanasia to critically ill patients. The willingness to suffer for ourselves and others is seen as a hurtful thing, rather than a great good. We must all have a strong grasp of the gift and power of suffering for the common good. As well as other bioethic concerns at the end-of life, especially within the confines of Church teaching.  

This book will provide that and more for you and your family.   

When my husband and I were in our own season of parents passing, we could have benefitted from the wide range of topics covered in this book. As it was, we had only one big question that we needed an answer to, and that was regarding the nursing home withholding fluids from my mother-in-law. My husband contacted The National Catholic Bioethics Center (available online and for phone calls), which was the only resource he could find at that time. They were very helpful. They told us that the only reason that fluids could be withheld was if the patient was retaining fluids, in which case intravenous fluid therapy would actually hasten death. My mother-in-law was retaining fluids, like crazy, with little pin pricks spontaneously opening in her skin and little geysers shooting out. The Bioethics consultant said, “Yes, withholding fluids is the right thing in this situation.” That gave us peace of mind, knowing that we were in line with Church teaching, doing what was best for Mom.  

For your own peace of mind, when such a time comes for you, it’s even more important these days to be armed with reliable Catholic advice. It’s all here, in Stephen Doran’s book. Maybe it will be a book that collects dust for years, that’s what we can hope for, but when tragedy strikes, or death comes unexpectedly, rest assured that everything you need to know is covered in this book.  

Copyright 2024 Charlene Rack
Images: Canva