DECLARATIONOFADESIREFORANATURALDEATH
yearsofageandaresidentofanddomiciledintheCityof , Countyof
,StateofSouthCarolina,makethisDeclarationthis dayof
,20.
Iwillfullyandvoluntarilymakeknownmydesirethatnolife-sustainingproceduresbeusedtoprolongmydyingifmyconditionisterminalorifIaminastateofpermanentunconsciousness,andIdeclare:
IfatanytimeIhaveaconditioncertifiedtobeaterminalconditionbytwophysicianswhohavepersonallyexaminedme,oneofwhomismyattendingphysician,andthephysicianshavedeterminedthatmydeathcouldoccurwithinareasonablyshortperiodoftimewithouttheuseoflife-sustainingproceduresorifthephysicianscertifythatIaminastateofpermanentunconsciousnessandwheretheapplicationoflife-sustainingprocedureswouldserveonlytoprolongthedyingprocess,Idirectthattheproceduresbewithheldorwithdrawn,andthatIbepermittedtodienaturallywithonlytheadministrationofmedicationortheperformanceofanymedicalprocedurenecessarytoprovidemewithcomfortcare.
INSTRUCTIONSCONCERNINGARTIFICIALNUTRITIONANDHYDRATIONINITIALONEOFTHEFOLLOWINGSTATEMENTS
IfmyconditionisTERMINALandcouldresultindeathwithinareasonablyshorttime,
IdirectthatnutritionandhydrationBEPROVIDEDthroughanymedicallyindicatedmeans,includingmedicallyorsurgicallyimplantedtubes.
OR
IdirectthatnutritionandhydrationNOTBEPROVIDEDthroughanymedicallyindicatedmeans,includingmedicallyorsurgicallyimplantedtubes.
INITIALONEOFTHEFOLLOWINGSTATEMENTS
IfIaminaPERSISTENTVEGETATIVESTATEorotherconditionofpermanentunconsciousness,
IdirectthatnutritionandhydrationBEPROVIDEDthroughanymedicallyindicatedmeans,includingmedicallyorsurgicallyimplantedtubes.
OR
IdirectthatnutritionandhydrationNOTBEPROVIDEDthroughanymedicallyindicatedmeans,includingmedicallyorsurgicallyimplantedtubes.
Intheabsenceofmyabilitytogivedirectionsregardingtheuseoflife-sustainingprocedures,itismyintentionthatthisDeclarationbehonoredbymyfamilyandphysiciansandanyhealthfacilityinwhichImaybeapatientasthefinalexpressionofmylegalrighttorefusemedicalorsurgicaltreatment,andIaccepttheconsequencesfromtherefusal.
IamawarethatthisDeclarationauthorizesaphysiciantowithholdorwithdrawlife-sustainingprocedures.I
amemotionallyandmentallycompetenttomakethisDeclaration.
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APPOINTMENTOFANAGENT(OPTIONAL)
1. YoumaygiveanotherpersonauthoritytoREVOKEthisdeclarationonyourbehalf. Ifyouwishtodoso,pleaseenterthatperson'snameinthespacebelow.
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2. YoumaygiveanotherpersonauthoritytoENFORCEthisdeclarationonyourbehalf. Ifyouwishtodoso,pleaseenterthatperson'snameinthespacebelow.
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REVOCATIONPROCEDURES
THISDECLARATIONMAYBEREVOKEDBYANYONEOFTHEFOLLOWINGMETHODS.HOWEVER,AREVOCATIONISNOTEFFECTIVEUNTILITISCOMMUNICATEDTOTHEATTENDINGPHYSICIAN:
(1) BYBEINGDEFACED,TORN,OBLITERATED,OROTHERWISEDESTROYED,INEXPRESSIONOFYOURINTENTTOREVOKE,BYYOUORBYSOMEPERSONINYOURPRESENCEANDBYYOURDIRECTION. REVOCATIONBYDESTRUCTIONOFONEORMOREOFMULTIPLEORIGINALDECLARATIONSREVOKESALLOFTHEORIGINALDECLARATIONS;
(2) BYAWRITTENREVOCATIONSIGNEDANDDATEDBYYOUEXPRESSINGYOURINTENTTOREVOKE;
(3) BYYOURORALEXPRESSIONOFYOURINTENTTOREVOKETHEDECLARATION. ANORALREVOCATIONTOTHEATTENDINGPHYSICIANBYAPERSONOTHERTHANYOUISEFFECTIVEONLYIF:
(A)THEPERSONWASPRESENTWHENTHEORALREVOCATIONWASMADE;
(B) THEREVOCATIONWASCOMMUNICATEDTOTHEPHYSICIANWITHINAREASONABLETIME;
(C) YOURPHYSICALORMENTALCONDITIONMAKESITIMPOSSIBLEFORTHEPHYSICIANTOCONFIRMTHROUGHSUBSEQUENTCONVERSATIONWITHYOUTHATTHEREVOCATIONHASOCCURRED.TOBEEFFECTIVEASAREVOCATION,THEORALEXPRESSIONCLEARLYMUSTINDICATEYOURDESIRETHATTHEDECLARATIONNOTBEGIVENEFFECTORTHATLIFE-SUSTAININGPROCEDURESBEADMINISTERED;
(4)IFYOU,INTHESPACEABOVE,HAVEAUTHORIZEDANAGENTTOREVOKETHEDECLARATION,THEAGENTMAYREVOKEORALLYORBYAWRITTEN,SIGNED,ANDDATEDINSTRUMENT. ANAGENTMAYREVOKEONLYIFYOUAREINCOMPETENTTODOSO. ANAGENTMAYREVOKETHEDECLARATIONPERMANENTLYORTEMPORARILY;
(5) BYYOUREXECUTINGANOTHERDECLARATIONATALATERTIME.
SignatureofDeclarant
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AFFIDAVIT
STATEOFCOUNTYOF
We, and ,theundersignedwitnessestotheforegoingDeclaration,datedthe dayof ,20 ,atleastoneofusbeingfirstdulysworn,declaretotheundersignedauthority,onthebasisofourbestinformationandbelief,thattheDeclarationwasonthatdatesignedbythedeclarantasandforhisDECLARATIONOFADESIREFORANATURALDEATHinourpresenceandwe,athisrequestandinhispresence,andinthepresenceofeachother,subscribeournamesaswitnessesonthatdate.Thedeclarantispersonallyknowntous,andwebelievehimtobeofsoundmind.Eachofusaffirmsthatheisqualifiedasawitness*tothisDeclarationundertheprovisionsoftheSouthCarolinaDeathwithDignityActinthatheisnotrelatedtothedeclarantbyblood,marriage,oradoptioneitherasaspouse,linealancestor,descendantoftheparentsofthedeclarant,orspouseofanyofthem;nordirectlyfinanciallyresponsibleforthedeclarant'smedicalcare;norentitledtoanyportionofthedeclarant'sestateuponhisdecease,whetherunderanywillorasanheirbyintestatesuccession;northebeneficiaryofalifeinsurancepolicyofthedeclarant;northedeclarant'sattendingphysician;noranemployeeoftheattendingphysician;norapersonwhohasaclaimagainstthedeclarant'sdecedent'sestateasofthistime.Nomorethanoneofusisanemployeeofahealthfacilityinwhichthedeclarantisapatient.Ifthedeclarantisaresidentinahospitalornursingcarefacilityatthedateofexecutionof
thisDeclaration,atleastoneofusisanombudsmandesignatedbytheStateOmbudsman,OfficeoftheGovernor.
WitnessWitness*
Subscribedbeforemeby ,thedeclarant,andsubscribedandsworntobeforemeby thewitness(es),
this dayof ,20.
(SEAL)
SignatureofNotaryPublic
Notary Publicfor
My commissionexpires:
*Ifqualifiedasawitness,theNotaryPublicmayserveasawitness.SCCodeofLawsSec.44-77-10(Rev.6/91)(Page3of3)