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K 120 Mill St The Tanning Centre 8779766 the heraldI SECTION SECTION THE Monday December IT IBM Page Terminal illness Medical treatment is your own choice Herald Staff What are your rights and privileges if you have a terminal Illness In Ontario theyre pretty straightforward according Georgetown Dr A was the guest speaker at the Georgetown Public Librarys Achievement group discussion Friday afternoon If you re mentally competent and complete ly understand your situation you can deny any medical treatment suggested to you It a up to you ultimately to decide what should or shouldnt be done for you If youre in a coma or mentally it a your privilege to appoint somebody as proxy who understands your wishes Often thats your spouse or next of kin said arguments may arise however if doctors feel a decision being made in your best interest If you have a terminal illness Ashen hurst says you should ask your physician the various treatments available to you and how you can die comfortably When it comes to minors babies and the unborn the law hasnt been established and its a tuny area Dr told the story of a baby boy born with breathing difficulties in 1976 After the first few days the baby developed meningitis which is an inflammation of the brain and spinal It progressed to water on the brain and the child had to be operated on with doc tors putting a tube to the brain to relieve the pressure Critically ill the boy was put into an institution for the chronically ill There was no improvement so he was transferred to a foster home where his condition became worse and required that he be relumed to the institution Totally blind the child barely responded to stimuli had cerebral palsy continual convulsions couldn t speak and was incontinent He was as much a vegetable as you could Imagine Dr said A second operation to relieve growing pressure on the childs brain was required After much consultation with doctors his parents decided they dldn t want surgery for their son court won However It was appealed to the Supreme Court Columbia judgement was overturned Doctors were told to do surgery on the seven year old The chances of his ever recovering to a normalllfearcvlrtuallynll Dr Ashenhurst said It became an ethical problem as to what do you do in this situation The court said yes the child must have surgery but the Judge doesnt have to take core of that child for the next years In American states you can write a will which slates how you wish to be cared for if you have a terminal Illness Its legally binding and doctors must honor it Dr Ashenhurst said Theres nothing similar In Canada I resent feeling some wretched govern ment can come along and say you Ball have got to live when I ve already decided thank you I don want to discussion participant Ball of Georgetown said Christmas tree ritual part of many cultures What would the holiday season be without a Christmas tree Part of the enchantment of childhood memories is the recollection of the family tree gaily bedecked and surrounded by temptingly mysterious packages It is thought that the Chris Unas tree originated with the Alsatians We know for a fact that Prince Albert Introduced it to Victorian England but interestingly enough America had it before then thanks to her German settlers and the Hessian soldiers who fought In the Revolution Today it Is one of the most popular Christmas symbols Here In Canada popcorn and tinsel ornaments and electric lights artificial snow and Icicles decorate trees In homes and offices In Italy the Christmas tree is not really a tree rather it is a pyramid of shelves called a At the base of this wooden frame there Is often a manger scene a Other tiers in the pyramid hold candy fruit small gifts and glided pine cones Lighted candles are placed at the corners of these shelves In Denmark lighted candles are placed on the tree along with Danish cookies confections of marzipan and heart shaped baskets of colored paper with pieces of candy tucked inside Celebrants dance around the lighted tree singing First we look at the tree later well eat it a traditional Danish song Although the Christmas tree may vary from country to country wherever It is used it is a symbol of Joy and expectation Santa says thank you Atop his North Pole villa somewhere In the Northwest Territories Santa relayed a message to the staff at The Herald Tell all my little friends from Hal ton Hills that was so glad to receive their letters he said He reminded the staff to tell residents that the deadline has now passed for Santo to write letters back to he children The last of bis letters will be printed In The Herald s Dec 19th edition