Parents allow child to make life, death decision

CORRESPONDENT ELIZABETH COHEN HAS. >> Reporter: WHAT PRINCESS ARE YOU TODAY? CINDERELLA. JULIANNA SNOW HAS A NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASE THAT IS SLOWLY TAKING HER LIFE. SHE CAN'T WALK OR BREATHE ON HER OWN OR EVEN USE HER HANDS TO PLAY WITH GLITTER. >> THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH, OKAY. >> Reporter: THE NEXT TIME JULIANA GETS A COLD OR ANY INFECTION HER BODY WILL BE TOO WEAK TO FIGHT IT OFF. WHAT DO THE DOCTORS TELL YOU IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN IF SHE WERE TO GET ANOTHER COLD? >> SHE WILL MOST LIKELY DIE IF SHE GETS ANOTHER COLD. >> Reporter: JULIANA'S DOCTORS PRESENTED HER PARENTS STEVE SNOW AND MICHELLE MOON WITH TWO DEVASTATING OPTIONS. JULIANA COULD DIE AT HOME IN HER PINK PRINCESS ROOM MADE COMFORTABLE SURROUNDED BY FAMILY OR GO TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE TREATMENT LIKELY COULDN'T SAVE HER OR EVEN IF IT DID, SHE WOULD LIKELY HAVE A TERRIBLE QUALITY OF LIFE. >> EVERYONE TOLD US THERE IS NO RIGHT ANSWER. >> Reporter: SO MICHELLE AND STEVE ASKED JULIANA SOMETHING ALMOST NO PARENT COULD EVEN FATHOM. WHEN SHE WAS JUST 4 YEARS OLD, THEY ASKED HER WHAT SHE WANTED TO DO. GO TO THE HOSPITAL OR GO TO HEAVEN. YOU BLOGGED ABOUT IT. >> YES. >> Reporter: LET'S TAKE A LOOK. >> ME, JULIANA, IF YOU GET SICK AGAIN, DO YOU WANT TO GO TO HOSPITAL OR STAY HOME. NOT THE HOSPITAL. ME, EVEN IF THAT MEANS YOU GO TO HEAVEN IF YOU STAY HOME? JULIANA, YES. ME, AND YOU KNOW THAT MOMMY AND DADDY WON'T COME WITH YOU RIGHT AWAY. JULIANA, DON'T WORRY, GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF ME. ME, AND IF YOU GO THE HOSPITAL, IT MAY HELP YOU GET BETTER AND LET YOU COME HOME AGAIN AND SPEND MORE TIME WITH US. I NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT. HOSPITAL MAY LET YOU HAVE MORE TIME WITH MOMMY AND DADDY. JULIANA, I UNDERSTAND. >> Reporter: JULIANA TOLD HER PARENTS SHE HATED THE HOSPITAL, ESPECIALLY A PROCEDURE CALLED SUCTIONING. >> THEY STICK A TUBE ON A SUCTION MACHINE AND STICK IT UP THE NOSE AND DOWN PAST THE TONGUE AND BACK INTO THE THROAT AS DEEP AS YOU CAN GO AND YOU START SUCTIONING. IF GIVE ON THE CHOICE OF ME OR ONE OF THE OTHER RESPIRATORY TECHS SHE WOULD ASK FOR ME TO DO IT. >> Reporter: WAS THAT HARD TO DO? >> YEAH. >> Reporter: COULD YOU WATCH HER GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN, DO YOU THINK? >> IF I HAD TO. >> Reporter: WOULD IT SAVE HER LIFE IF SHE WERE TO GET AN INFECTION? >> I DON'T THINK SO. >> Reporter: MICHELLE AND STEVE SAYS WHEN THE TIME COMES THEY'LL HONOR THEIR DAUGHTER'S WISHES. SOME PARENTS WOULD NOT HAVE CONSULTED A CHILD SO YOUNG. SO, YOU ASKED YOUR DAUGHTER AT THE AGE OF 4 WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT SHOULD WE DO? >> SHE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THAT WAS. SHE WAS AWAKE FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE. SHE KNOWS WHAT THAT IS. SO, I THINK SHE HAS A RIGHT. I THINK SHE HAS A SAY. >> Reporter: JULIANA'S DOCTORS TOLD CNN SHE'S AN EXCEPTIONALLY WISE 5-YEAR-OLD AND THEY SUPPORT HER PARENTS' DECISION TO CARRY OUT HER WISHES. FOR NOW, JULIANA IS ENJOYING HER LIFE WITH HER PARENTS, HER BIG BROTHER, ALEX. ♪ LET IT GO CAN'T HOLD IT BACK ANY MORE ♪ ♪ LET IT GO ♪ >> Reporter: AND HER PRINCES. . >> HER ELSA AND ANNA. ARE THEY COUSINS? >> THEY'RE SISTERS. >> IT'S ANNA. >> Reporter: I SAID ANNA. I'M SORRY. >> SHE FORGIVES YOU. <u>%-p!</u> REALISTIC HOPES FOR HER FOR THE REST OF THE TIME SHE HAS LEFT? >> FEEL LOVED. >> Reporter: WHAT HAS GOTTEN YOU THROUGH IT? >> FAITH. WHEREVER YOU MAY BE, I CAN GUARANTEE FOR CERTAIN GOD LISTENS TO YOU AND ME. THE FACT THAT SHE WILL BE IN A BETTER PLACE WHEN HER TIME COMES. AND WE CAN GO JOIN HER SOME DAY AND THIS WILL ALL PASS AWAY. >> WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO REMEMBER ABOUT JULIANNA? >> HER HEART. SHE IS JUST SO MUCH LOVE. SO MUCH LOVE. >> SO DSAD. ELIZABETH JOINS US NOW. JULIANNA TALKED ABOUT WHAT SHE THINKS HEAVEN WILL BE LIKE? >> HER MOTHER HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT, ANDERSON. HER MOTHER SAYS WHAT THEY DISCUSSED IN HEAVEN SHE WON'T BE IN A WHEELCHAIR AND SHE'LL BE ABLE TO RUN AROUND OUTSIDE AND PLAY AND SHE'LL BE ABLE TO EAT. NONE OF WHICH SHE CAN DO RIGHT NOW. >> AND HER DOCTORS ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THE PARENTS' DECISION? >> THEY ARE. I INTERVIEWED SEVERAL OF HER DOCTORS AND NURSES AND ALL OF THEM WERE SUPPORTIVE OF THE CHOICE THAT HER PARENTS HAVE MADE. I WANT TO READ YOU ACTUALLY TWO OF THEM. HER NURSE IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT WHO WAS WITH HER OVER SEVERAL HOSPITAL STAYS SAYS THERE IS NO CURE FOR HER AND I WANT HER LIVING AND HER DYING IN HER PRINCESS ROOM AT HOME SURROUNDED BY HER FAMILY AND NOT BY THE COLD TECHNOLOGY OF THE HOSPITAL. THEN HER PULMONOLOGY DR. DANNY SHAW TOLD ME FOR HER THERE IS NO LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. SHE DOESN'T HAVE A LONG TIME LEFT TO LIVE. I HAVE THE UTMOST FAITH IN HER MOTHER AND IN HER FATHER. THEY'RE PHE

Channel: CNN

Views: 24,814,293

Rating: 4.9040437 out of 5

Keywords: right to die, portland, dying, child, request, parents, hospital, heaven, cnn ac360, health, medical, medicine, ac360, us news, cnn, cnn news, elizabeth cohen

Id: LIbwYaOcGxg

Length: 5min 19sec (319 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 03 2015

Reddit Comments

[u/MsTowler]

Shit, I’m an Atheist but it warms my heart that their faith brings them love and comfort. I hope heaven is real for this little girl.

[u/hey-girl-hey]

She passed away in 2016

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2016/06/14/health/julianna-snow-heaven-over-hospital-death/index.html

[u/surfguitarboy]

That little girl is very courageous. I wish her peace.

[u/bitbee]

Fuck, that made me tear up.

Can't imagine what her parents felt through that time but I'm glad to see they let their daughter choose. It's a big decision for anyone to make, let alone a child, but when you're suffering like that and you're just delaying your inevitable death, the choice seems obvious.

I hope her family is doing well.

[u/WIPeFo]

I had to stop watching after she started singing holy fuck

[u/monni-gonni]

Being an atheist makes this 100x more depressing

[u/_Samus_is_a_girl_]

im happy that she go to choose. people tend to forget that children are people too, and that when you are facing certain death, you have the right to choose how you meet it. Rest in Power, little soldier.

[u/cutewolf360]

This is some heavy shit, but I'm glad she's happy and I wish her that for the the rest of her life too 💜

[u/Brandor7]

Couldn't even make it past the father tearing up talking about the procedure