KAREN ANN QUINLAN
Karen Ann Quinlan
Birth: Mar. 29, 1954
Death: Jun. 11, 1985
Karen Ann Quinlan fell into a coma in April 1975, allegedly after mixing drugs
and alcohol at a party. After she had been on a respirator and a feeding tube
for about a year, her family asked hospital authorities to remove her from life
support; the hospital refused. Her case was one of the first to call attention
to the "right to die" debate nationally. The Quinlans were finally granted
permission from the New Jersey Supreme Court to remove Karen from life support
in 1976; amazingly, she lived on in a coma for another 8+ years until she died
of pneumonia in 1985. (bio by: Joel Manuel)
Karen Ann Quinlan
Birth: Mar. 29, 1954
Death: Jun. 11, 1985
Karen Ann Quinlan fell into a coma in April 1975, allegedly after mixing drugs
and alcohol at a party. After she had been on a respirator and a feeding tube
for about a year, her family asked hospital authorities to remove her from life
support; the hospital refused. Her case was one of the first to call attention
to the "right to die" debate nationally. The Quinlans were finally granted
permission from the New Jersey Supreme Court to remove Karen from life support
in 1976; amazingly, she lived on in a coma for another 8+ years until she died
of pneumonia in 1985. (bio by: Joel Manuel)