Did He Know He Was Dying?

The patient was unable to accept blood transfusions, and his cognitive differences prevented him from understanding the course of his leukemia as it progressed. Mikkael Sekeres, MD, MS, writes about what it was like to care for a patient with a loving family, limited treatment options and cognitive differences in the solitary times of COVID-19 in this New York Times column.

“At the end, he didn’t suffer much. And as a parent, I can’t say for certain that I would have the strength to care for a dying child at home,” Dr. Sekeres writes. “But I also can’t be certain if it was right to preserve his hope until he passed, while leaving him unprepared for a solitary death; perhaps unaware of what was occurring, but perhaps aware.”

Dr. Sekeres is Director of Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center’s Leukemia Program. You can follow him on Twitter @MikkaelSekeres.