Informed Sources

Pg 5 

POLST: A Uniquely Dangerous Advance Directive 

  1. “About.” National POLST, https://polst.org/faq-2/. Accessed 7 November 2025.

Pg 6

The Danger of Futile Care Theory 

  1. The American Journal of Medicine, January 1993, Vol. 94, p. 115.
  2. Smith, Wesley J. “Andrea Clark has Died: Family Issues Statement.” National Review, 8 May 2006, nationalreview.com/human-exceptionalism/andrea-clark-has-died-family-issues-statement-wesley-j-smith/. Accessed 6 November 2025.
  3. Saeed, Hamza. "The Tinslee Lewis Case: A Landmark Legal Battle Over Life-Sustaining Treatment in Texas." Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), 15 April 2025. tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/tinslee-lewis-case. Accessed 24 February 2026.
  4. Protect TX Fragile Kids, et al. "Cook Children's Medical Center v. T.L., a Minor, and Mother T.L., on Her Behalf: On Petition for Review from the Second Court of Appeals, Brief of Amici Curiae." HALO, 8 October 2020. halovoice.org/wp-content/uploads/TL-Amicus-Brief-10.08.2020-FS-Redacted-Copy.pdf. Accessed 24 February 2026.
  5. Image Credit: Protect Texas Fragile Kids 14 February 2025, txfragilekids.org. 

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Ventilators and CPR

  1. Physician members of the Healthcare Civil Rights Task Force, a coalition of attorneys, bioethicists, health care professionals, and advocates, healthcarecivilrights.org. 

Pgs 8-9

What Is Physician Assisted Suicide? 

  1. “World Medical Association Reaffirms Opposition to Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide.” WMA, 26 October 2019. https://www.wma.net/news-post/world-medical-association-reaffirms-opposition-to-euthanasia-and-physician-assisted-suicide/. Accessed 23 February 2026.

  2. “In Your State.” Death With Dignity, 17 February 2026. https://deathwithdignity.org/states/. Accessed 23 February 2026.

    Assisted Suicide Around the Globe 

  3. “Assisted dying around the world.” Campaign for Dignity in Dying. https://www.dignityindying.org.uk/assisted-dying/assisted-dying-around-the-world/. Accessed 23 February 2026.

  4. Kim, Scott, MD, PhD. “Medically-Assisted or Induced Death Around the World: An Overview of Law, Policy, Ethics, and Practices.” Department of Bioethics: Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 2025-2026. https://bioethics.medicine.uiowa.edu/sites/bioethics.medicine.uiowa.edu/files/2025-06/Session%201%20-%20HANDOUT%20-%20Euthanasia%20and%20Assisted%20Suicide%20Policies%20%28Kim%29.pdf. Accessed 23 February 2026.

  5. Frank, Marc and Nelson Acosta. “Cuba quietly authorizes euthanasia.” Reuters, 22 December 2023. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/cuba-quietly-authorizes-euthanasia-2023-12-22/. Accessed 23 February 2026.

  6. Gómez, Rocío. “Ecuadorian Constitutional Court Legalizes Euthanasia.” Americans United for Life, 11 June 2024. https://aul.org/2024/06/11/ecuadorian-constitutional-court-legalizes-euthanasia/. Accessed 23 February 2026.

    HLA’s Testimony against HF1930, MN

  7. Over 46% of the patients seeking assisted suicide in Oregon in the most recent year reported cited concerns about “becoming a burden” to their family or loved ones as a reason for wanting to end their lives. Source: “Oregon Death With Dignity Act 2022 Data Summary.” Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division, 8 March 2023, www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/EVALUATIONRESEARCH/DEATHWITHDIGNITYACT/Documents/year25.pdf. Accessed 23 February 2026.

  8. There are already recorded instances here in the U.S. of patients being denied insurance coverage for certain medical treatments, only to be offered assisted suicide instead. This is coercive and predatory. Sources: Richardson, Bradford. “Assisted-Suicide Law Prompts Insurance Company to Deny Coverage to Terminally Ill California Woman.” The Washington Times, 20 October 2016, www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/20/assisted-suicide-law-prompts-insurance-company-den/. Accessed 23 February 2026. AND Richardson, Bradford. “Insurance Companies Denied Treatment to Patients, Offered to Pay for Assisted Suicide, Doctor Claims.” The Washington Times, 31 May 2017, www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/31/insurance-companies-denied-treatment-to-patients-o/. Accessed 23 February 2026.

  9. Briscoe, Joshua, et al. “‘I Don’t Want to Die’ - New Revelations on How Canada Ushers the Vulnerable to Medically Aided Death.” The New Atlantis, 19 January 2023, www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/no-other-options. Accessed 23 February 2026.

  10. Valko N. Why are suicide rates climbing after years of decline? Linacre Q. 2017 May;84(2):108-110. doi: 10.1080/00243639.2016.1221305. Epub 2017 May 3. PMID: 28698703; PMCID: PMC5499219.

  11. Oregon Death With Dignity Act 2022 Data Summary, Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division, 8 Mar. 2023, www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PROVIDERPARTNERRESOURCES/EVALUATIONRESEARCH/DEATHWITHDIGNITYACT/Documents/year25.pdf. Accessed 23 February 2026.

Pg 13

Do You Want to Be an Organ Donor?

  1. Esbensen, Kari L., MD, PhD, et al. “Ethical Issues in Organ Transplantation: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians.” Annals of Internal Medicine, 28 October 2025. https://doi.org/10.7326/ANNALS-25-01738.

  2. “HHS Finds Systemic Disregard for Sanctity of Life in Organ Transplant System.” HHS, 21 July 2025, https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hrsa-to-reform-organ-transplant-system.html. Accessed 5 November 2025.

  3. Chen, Melissa E. MD., et al. “Deceased Donor Organ Donation in the United States: A Review of Current Practices and Future Directions.” The American Surgeon, vol. 92, no. 3, 22 October 2025, pp. 982-990. doi.org/10.1177/00031348251391849.

  4. Qu, Zhi, et al. “Systematic review on potential brain dead donor estimations and conversion rates to actually realized organ donations.” Transplantation Reviews, vol. 35, no 4, December 2021. doi.org/10.1016/j.trre.2021.100638.

  5. Paul Byrne, MD. “‘Brain Death’ Is Not Death: Clinical Experience,” 20-21 May 2019, Hotel Massimo D’Azeglio, Rome, YouTube, 1:11:07, https://youtu.be/6_TUF3hEZXw?si=-AD9nT4LGhiVXv3C start at 34:50.