One of the major tragedies of human life occurs when someone's life ends much earlier than they had every right to believe and every reason to expect would be the case. However, this is particularly devastating to parents when a child who they have nurtured, protected and given so much love to, and in whom they can see so much potential for a happy and fulfilling existence, is torn from their care at the dawn of its life. If the child has brothers and sisters, it is often indelibly traumatic for them to experience that death and continue to be, for the rest of their lives, without the cherished steadfast friendship that sibling relationships can bring. Second only to their own lives, it is the devoted desire of all parents that their children should have a chance to grow up.
Medical research is constantly seeking cures for all childhood terminal diseases and ways to prevent them from occurring. For any such disease, it is expected and reasonable to believe that in time a cure for the condition will be available. However, it will still be decades or even centuries before even the many complex childhood terminal diseases about which we know are all fully understood, curable and eradicated. In addition, there are sure to be new diseases which appear, and there will always be accidental or other miscellaneous causes for the wrenching deaths of children. The founders of the Life Preservation and Continuation Society think that long-term reversible suspended animation can be perfected without anywhere near the depth of fundamental research which would be required to find cures for all the childhood terminal diseases. The development and implementation of perfected suspended animation can, thus, serve as a stop-gap method of saving children from death in order to allow their potential a chance for fulfillment.
Of course, such children who are "suspended" would certainly have their lives grossly interrupted. Their parents and siblings would still miss them intensely. However, this feeling of loss would be greatly reduced, by the certain knowledge that the child in suspension could be returned to them later having suffered no pain, and feeling as if it was only yesterday when he had departed. In most such situations, the parents and siblings would still be relatively young when the child returned to continue life and he would simply become a biologically "younger" sibling of those to which he was before older. No one can be certain how long a research development process will take to find a cure for any particular disease. However, as with the recent unexpected cloning of a sheep from mature cells, it is always possible that such a cure breakthrough will happen "tomorrow". Therefore, we at LPCS believe that it would not be practicing any form of harmful clinging to false hope for parents of terminal children to continue their protection and nurture of their beloved child by making sure that he or she is given a second chance at life, once suspended animation is perfected, of course.
Another result of this development became clear to us when we thought about the instinctual nature of parents love and devotion to give their own children a chance to grow to maturity. We not only see this clearly among those with children all around us, but when we see many parents whose child has died from some disease, thereafter devote their lives to trying to eradicate that disease -- even though such action will do nothing to bring back their beloved child! Imagine how much more zealous will be the parents, and even the siblings of those who are still alive in suspension, patiently waiting for a cure for the illness. Once, a reasonable number of a certain disease class of children are in suspension this great force will mean that it surely cannot be many years before a cure for that particular disease is found.
It is equally tragic when an adult dies in the prime of life leaving a beloved, grief-stricken spouse, cherished children still in school and many other important projects unfinished. This may effect the children most deeply, leaving emotional scares which distort the rest of their lives. How much better it would be if, in the many cases where death is not the result of some obliterating accident, the adult was placed in stabilization before death occurred. No only would he or she have the chance to return to life and resume a zest for life, but the loss for those left behind would be enormously reduced by the knowledge that their loved one could later return to comfort them and share their lives once again in the future.
Medical research is constantly seeking cures for the major terminal diseases and ways to prevent them from occurring. For any disease condition, it is expected that in time a cure for the condition will be available. Between prevention and cure, in the years to come, more and more people will be enabled to live in health and vitality to ages closer to the human maximum life span, which itself will be ever increasing. However, this process of increasing the average human life span is very slow because its success requires that we investigate and understand all fundamental life processes down to the molecular level and that we learn how to modify them. Therefore, disease conditions from which large numbers of people die long before the maximum human life span will continue to be with us for many decades if not centuries more. The founders of the Life Preservation and Continuation Society are convinced that long-term reversible suspended animation can be perfected without anywhere near the depth of fundamental research which major disease cures require. Its development and implementation can serve as a stop-gap method of saving those who otherwise would die before a cure could be found for their particular terminal condition.
Any persons undergoing such a procedure will certainly have to suspend their plans, and they will not be able to be interactive with their evolving families for an unknown number of years, possibly numbering decades for certain intractable diseases. For children, this would not be such a major problem, since their parents and siblings would still be relatively young when they returned to continue life. In addition, no one can be certain how long a research development process will take to find a cure. Optimistically, it is always possible that a breakthrough will happen tomorrow as with the recent unexpected cloning of a sheep from mature cells. Therefore, those with terminal conditions may reasonably elect perfected suspended animation with the hope that their temporary departure from society will be little different than if they had gone to live in a foreign country for some years without the capability of return visits.
A Chance to See Great Grandchildren
Still later, there is the anguish suffered by grandchildren when a beloved grandparent dies, removing forever from their life an important source of guidance of their development and joy in their accomplishments.
Medical research is constantly seeking cures for the major terminal diseases and ways to prevent them from occurring. For any disease condition, it is expected that in time a cure for the condition will be available. Between prevention and cure, in the years to come, more and more people will be enabled to live in health and vitality to ages closer to the human maximum life span. However, this process of increasing the average human life span is very slow because its success requires that we investigate and understand all fundamental life processes down to the molecular level and that we learn how to modify them. Therefore, disease conditions from which large numbers of people die long before the maximum human life span will continue to be with us for many decades if not centuries more. The founders of the Life Preservation and Continuation Society are convinced that long-term reversible suspended animation can be perfected without anywhere near the depth of fundamental research which major disease cures require. Its development and implementation can serve as a stop-gap method of saving those who otherwise would die before a cure could be found for their particular terminal condition.
Any persons undergoing such a procedure will certainly have to suspend their plans, and they will not be able to be interactive with their evolving families for an unknown number of years, possibly numbering decades for certain intractable diseases. For children, this would not be such a major problem, since their parents and siblings would still be relatively young when they returned to continue life. In addition, no one can be certain how long a research development process will take to find a cure. Optimistically, it is always possible that a breakthrough will happen tomorrow as with the recent unexpected cloning of a sheep from mature cells. Therefore, those with terminal conditions may reasonably elect perfected suspended animation with the hope that their temporary departure from society will be little different than if they had gone to live in a foreign country for some years without the capability of return visits.
Currently, the maximum human life span appears to be about 120 years. Extremely few people live beyond 110, and until very recently there was no fully documented case of anyone living to 120. However, people who live beyond 100 do not tend to die from the standard major terminal diseases, but instead from very non-specific causes, i.e. simply of old age. This and other aspects of aging have caused many scientists and clinicians studying the question to adopt the view that aging itself should be viewed as a disease which can be prevented and possibly even cured (i.e. reversed - the old can be rejuvenated). Today, many research companies are involved with basic research on the aging process both to understand it and to modify it.
At the same time, there are many people who, even though old and increasingly debilitated, have an unending zest for life and a desire for more of it. Even though they have experienced much life, and perhaps have seen their grandchildren grow to maturity and have children of their own, they still wish to carry on creating, learning and experiencing the boundless wonders of the universe. For such people who are old enough that they are not likely to be able to remain alive until anti-aging breakthroughs are made, perfected suspended animation offers a method of transport to a future time when they can not only be restored but can be rejuvenated to a biologically younger and more vital state of health. Generally, such people have already lived a full life and are not so concerned with the length of time that they will have to wait before restoration and rejuvenation can occur. It should be made clear that anyone who undergoes this procedure will be insensitive to the passage of time in the same manner as a patient who goes through a long operation under general anesthesia is not conscious of the passage of time and, in essence, "wakes up" immediately after going to "sleep".
Although all living cells including egg and sperm cells are "alive", it is clear that a different kind of life begins at the moment of conception when the egg and sperm are joined. Currently, there are two segments of our society which are often in violent conflict over the sanctity and value attached to this rapidly changing potential human. One group calling themselves "pro-life" takes the view that the full human right to life is conveyed to the conceptus by the procreative act of the mother and father. Consequently, they believe that any attempt to intervene whether actively or passively in the development of the fetus is tantamount to murder. The other group calling themselves "pro-choice", believe that the full human right to life is not conveyed to the developing fetus until it is actually born. Consequently, while still giving some value to the living fetus, they view the right of the mother to remove it as paramount, even if the fetus ceases to live as a result of the process.
While there are some people who take various ridged positions between and beside those just described, or more extreme than either, there are many thoughtful people that are not totally happy with their position, even though they may be strongly on one side or the other, because they realize that there are problems for someone involved with either. For the mother subscribing to the "pro-life" viewpoint there is the hardship of having a child well before she is physically, emotionally, or financially able to properly care for it and continue her own growth and development. Bearing and raising a child prematurely may end up severely damaging the life of both the child and the mother. On the other hand, it is both instinctive, and valuable for humanity in general for a pregnant woman to feel "attached" to her developing fetus and to want it to live and be born. Even for those women with a "pro-choice", the result of this laudable emotional response is often severe trauma over the decision to end the fetus' development and terminate its human potential by abortion.
The founders of the Life Preservation and Continuation Society think that these emotional, damaging, moral and legal conflicts can largely be ended by:
It is our hope that those of all viewpoints will embrace and support this major approach to a solution of the conflict. The "pro-life" segment should be pleased because it saves the life-in-being of the fetus and allows it to achieve its full human potential at some time in the future. The "pro-choice" segment should be pleased that women will have more choice and more often will be able to avoid damaging their own personal life by bearing a child before they are emotionally or financially able. Both sides should be pleased that the mother is saved from the enormous trauma of such a life or death decision.
The founders of the Life Preservation and Continuation Society expect that those with a "pro-life" viewpoint will come forth to finance the small extra cost of the damage free abortion procedure and the long-term cryopreservation care if the mother cannot afford it. We believe that organizations can be formed and agreements developed so that even if the original mother decides later not to bear the fetus, its suspended life will be continued until such time as someone else wishes to adopt it and allow it to continue development.
There have always been those who incur some major disability be it the loss of a limb, eyesight or becoming quadriplegic, yet still live on in this "impoverished" manner for a normal lifetime. On the other hand, every day medical research gains ground on the problems of limb regeneration and transplant, the creation of full functional artificial limbs and other organs, and the ability to rejoin severed nerves and spinal chords. The founders of the Life Preservation and Continuation Society want such "disabled" persons to have the choice and the chance to lead a full life a whole individual with all standard human abilities. And furthermore, we think that many disabled persons will elect such a choice if its danger is minimal and its price is affordable.
We invite you to join with us and all our supporters in dedication to the task of making our ideals become reality.
Become involved with the Life Preservation and Continuation Society by joining its Yahoo group.