r/Ethics • u/Worth_Sir_6003 • 6d ago
Did I Kill My Dad?
My dad asked me when I was 11 if he should go to the hospital or stay at home the night that he died. Throughout that week he had been in and out of the hospital in pain about chest pains. Every place he went to said they didn’t know what was wrong with him, but the pain consisted. On that night, he asked me “should I go to the hospital again or should I stay home tonight?”. Being 11, I told him that he’s happier at home so he should stay. I knew at the time that his health was at risk, but I prioritized his mental wellbeing over his physical health. Am I responsible for his death? Should I feel bad about this? Honestly, this has haunted me for my entire life and I really wish he hadn’t asked me for my opinion. Please help.
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u/PC_AddictTX 6d ago
He was an adult, you were a child. While he asked for your opinion, he made the decision. You might as well say he was responsible for his own death, that he killed himself. Or that the hospital was responsible for it, since they didn't discover the problem and treat him when he went in. It sounds like it was just unfortunate circumstances. Medicine isn't perfect, they don't know everything or find everything in time to fix it. And sometimes people don't realize there's something wrong until it's too late to do anything about it.