- a Terminable Condition;
- an End-State Condition; and
- a Persistent Vegetative State
An Eighty year old granddmother made her wishes plain as day, when she had the words “Do Not Resuscitate” tattooed across her chest. She is not kidding around. Just in case emergency personnel find her face down, a large tattoo “PTO” with an arrow is inked on her back. It’s not that this Octogenarian has a death wish, it’s just that her feelings are Strong that she not be kept alive through artificial means. If she is in a vegetative state, she does not want her family to remember her as a “lump”.
When asked whether her tattoos were legally sufficient, a General Medical Council spokesman stated that most doctors would ignore her DNR tattoo. He said her DNR wishes need to be put in writing and witnessed, or for a health surrogate to be designated.
Moral of story. . . before you get inked, consult with a Jacksonville Advance Health Directives Attorney about having the legal documents prepared to express your end of life health care wishes. A Florida Living Will, executed pursuant to Florida Statutes, establishes a rebuttable presumption of clear and convincing evidence of a person’s wishes.