Larry McAfee (November 18, 1955 – October 1, 1995) was an American figure in the

right to die The right to die is a concept rooted in the belief that individuals have the Self-ownership, autonomy to make fundamental decisions about their own lives, including the choice to Suicide, end them or undergo voluntary euthanasia, central to the b ...

and

disability rights The disability rights movement is a global social movement that seeks to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for all disabled people. It is made up of organizations of disability activists, also known as disability advocates, around ...

movements. A C1

quadriplegic Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of Motor control, motor and/or Sense, sensory function in the Cervical vertebrae, cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weak ...

, he successfully sued the State of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

for the right to disconnect his ventilator, but chose to remain alive after receiving further accommodations for his disability. The 1993 film, ''The Switch,'' was based on McAfee's life and his relationship with Russ Fine, a radio talk show doctor who befriended him and became his spokesman.

Early life

On May 1, 1985, electrical engineer Larry McAfee became completely paralyzed and

ventilator A ventilator is a type of breathing apparatus, a class of medical technology that provides mechanical ventilation by moving breathable air into and out of the lungs, to deliver breaths to a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathi ...

dependent following a motorcycle crash. After he quickly exhausted his $1 million insurance deductible, he was shunted into a series of nursing homes for Medicare and Medicaid recipients unaccustomed to working with young, nonterminal patients. He devised a switch which would allow him to turn off his own ventilator, but found the process too painful to pursue unaided. Seeing no end to this existence, he petitioned the state for his right to die.

''Georgia v. McAfee''

McAfee presented his case in August 1989. He asked for permission to turn off his ventilator, to receive analgesics to ease the dying process, and clemency for anyone who helped him achieve his goal. On November 21, 1989, the Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that he had "the right to refuse medical treatment in the absence of a conflicting state interest." After winning his case, however, McAfee was able to circumvent the bureaucracy that had forced him into the hospital, and he moved in an accessible housing unit with friends. He regained the will to live and died of natural causes in 1995.

References

8{{DEFAULTSORT:McAfee, Larry American disability rights activists 1955 births 1995 deaths Deaths from pneumonia in Georgia (U.S. state) Euthanasia activists . "That's Dirty Work"-Lewis Dahm 2024