Dax's Case

his documentary poses the ultimate bioethical problem. Does a patient have the right to refuse treatment? Taking the painful case of Dax Cowart, who in his twenties was critically burned in a propane gas explosion, the film examines the issue from all perspectives. We hear the positions of doctors, nurses, family and friends both at the time of the crisis, and again ten years later. Their conflicting views leave one to wrestle with how Dax's case should have been decided., This documentary probes the rights of patients versus the prerogatives of medical personnel by focusing on the case of Dax Cowart, a young man severely burned in a propane gas explosion. The accident left Dax sightless, disfigured and wanting to die. Hospital personnel, however, saved his life and imposed a regimen of painful treatments against Dax's wishes. The film spans a ten-year period during which Dax started a new business and married. He still fervently believes that he should have been allowed to die. The conflicting and controversial positions of doctors, nurses, family and friends at the time of the crisis and a decade later, are presented and attest to the complex issues raised by Dax's case.
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