A 28 year old, 8 month primigravida (G1P0) is shot in the head and develops massive

intracranial bleeding. Upon arrival at the Emergency Room (ER) she goes into cardiac arrest.
Doctors want to do a Caesarian Section (CS) but her husband refuses to give consent. He
reasons that he will not be able to care for the baby who will be better off in heaven with her
mother.

A. Information
FACTS:
1. Mother is 8 weeks pregnant with her first child (G1P0).
2. Mother was shot in the head, developed intracranial bleeding, and went into cardiac
arrest.
3. Father refused to give consent for a caesarian section.
4. Father stated that he will not be able to care for the baby.
5. The 1987 Constitution in Article II Section 12 states, as a matter of national principle and
State policy, that the State "shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the
unborn from conception."

STAKEHOLDERS
1. Doctors - suggested to do a Cesarean Section
2. Husband/Father- the one who refused to give consent for cesarean section
3. Mother- was shot in the head and went into cardiac arrest
4. Unborn child- believed to be better off in heaven with her mother

DECISION-MAKER:
The husband, who is the immediate family member of the wife.

B. Problems
B.1 Should the doctor perform the C-section without the husband's consent?
B.2 Should the doctor persuade the husband to give consent to let the unborn baby live?
B.3 Should the father choose / choose not to have the baby?

C. Moral Standards
CONSEQUENCES:
If the decision to not pursue CS continued, the life of the fighting fetus may be put to
waste especially knowing that the fetus is already capable of surviving the outside world.
Furthermore, if the only issue is the people who’ll take care of the baby, there will be the baby’s
grandparents, aunts, and uncles that will take care of the baby. In the perspective of generation
Z, ending the life before the baby experiences the negative side of living can be a great thing as
emotional and psychological trauma can be prevented but it is still not ethical to end a life
because of how we view life. On the other hand, even if the case presented minimal issues, it
did not fully describe the emotions of the father. Through this, the father might be thinking of
other medical complications the baby may experience that could eventually kill the baby ex-
utero. This could cause deeper emotional and psychological wounds to the father. Also, if the
father decided to let the baby live it can mean a lot to him—the baby may be a reminder of how
beautiful their love story is or the existence of the baby is a constant reminder of the tragedy.