Karen Quinlan

Karen Quinlan was a pivotal figure in medical ethics, known for her case in 1975 where she was in a coma after a drug overdose. Her parents wanted to remove her ventilator, which was keeping her alive, arguing she wouldn't recover or want extraordinary measures. The hospital initially refused, but the case went to court. The New Jersey Supreme Court ultimately ruled that she could be taken off life support, setting a legal precedent for patients' rights and the right to refuse life-sustaining treatments. Quinlan's case helped shape modern discussions around end-of-life decisions and patient autonomy.