In the case “A Demand to Die”, Donald C was a discharged pilot, he and his father gone through an explosion and his father passed away on the way to the hospital. He survived but was in a really bad physical condition—he sustained third-degree burns for most of his body, lost his vision, hearing and both of his hands. During the following several months of therapy, the treatments, including surgeries on his hands, eyes, and daily chlorinated baths, brought him unbearable physical suffering, and the death of his father and his body condition also gave him a bad mentally pressure. Eventually, he begged his doctor to stop treatment and let him die, nonetheless, his doctor refused his requests, no matter how hard he begged. He tried suicide on several occasions, but was all found out and prevented.

According to the Principle of Respect for Autonomy, “one must respect the voluntary decision of competent person especially when those decision bear on that person’s own vital interests”, the health care givers should respect to Donald’s decision of ending the treatments instead of regarding his demand. Since Donald is a competent person, and he is in a very painful condition, his demand of die should not be ignored. Continuing of the treatment may only deepen his pain and add heavier burden on him, he would develop into irrational depress because of the blind and the fear of all the unknowns.

Simultaneously, the Principle of Beneficence tells us that, “one must do the best one can to sustain the well-being of a person in need”, on the situation that Donald had, what he needed was to escape from the endless suffering brought by the explosion. As we know that Donald was clear-headed when he asked the health care giver to remove the treatment, and he should be the one who knew the best about his own physical condition, the agent should follow what he said to meet his