Madeline Kisha

Free Rein to Kill: Euthanasia in America Madeline Kisha

Free Rein to Kill chronicles the heart-wrenching true story of an elderly patient who was admitted to the hospital with an impacted bowel and involuntarily euthanized after being incorrectly diagnosed with end-stage cancer. Coauthors Maddie Kisha and Paula Andrasko allege that the Florida doctors caring for their father, Paul Joseph Vertucci, Sr., neglected his impacted bowel and inaccurately diagnosed end-stage cancer, claiming that the disease had metastasized and was therefore incurable. Released with in-home hospice care, his daughters' determination and love were not enough to save him-Vertucci eventually died from morphine-related complications. Kisha and Andrasko contend that their father was involuntarily euthanized due to the ramifications of the Florida Wrongful Death Act-alleging that the state legislation gives doctors, hospitals and insurance companies free rein to kill. The authors bring the controversial subject of euthanasia to the forefront as they recount the rich and loving relationship they shared with their beloved father.