Human Dignity and The Hills

Mr. and Mrs. Hill are the most adorable seniors you'd ever want to meet. And I should know—I've met them 15 times. The Hills are in their late 80s and attend our church. A few years ago, their daughter placed them in an Alzheimer's care facility not far from where we live. Sometimes Mrs. Hill comes to church with her gray wig askew, and Mr. Hill has his sweater on inside out. Although quiet and unassuming, their spirits remain bright. Whenever I wheel up to them, they always smile and say, "Hello dear, and what's your name?" And at least 15 times I've said, "I'm Joni, Mr. and Mrs. Hill, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

When we encounter people like the Hills, it should call forth our deepest compassion, inspire us to lend a hand where we can, and encourage us to invest in preventative research. It’s what we should do. Yet, in our fast-paced, quick-fix society, we are seeing a subtle cynicism toward those affected by this disease.

To prove it, my friend Stephanie Hubach shared with me a newspaper article called “The Toll of Alzheimer’s Disease” by syndicated columnist, Dr. Peter H. Gott. He wrote, “[Alzheimer’s] eventually ends in a catastrophe: extreme confusion, loss of judgment, inability to recognize loved ones, belligerency, and the failure to be able to carry out everyday chores and activities of daily living (including bathing, dressing and eating). In the truest sense of the word, the advanced Alzheimer’s patient has lost all the qualities that make him or her human.”

After Stephanie showed me the article, she said, “I wonder how many people read that article and never noticed the last line. According to the columnist, if you can stay focused, have good judgment, connect with your family, be cooperative, complete your chores, and take care of yourself, you are human. If you can’t, then you are not. That criteria would probably eliminate at least seven teenagers I know!” 

Even good Christians often evaluate others by what they can or cannot do. We value others based on how they perform in society, or what they contribute. But some in our society, like Dr. Gott, are judging a person's worth—even their humanity—based on their ability to function, reason, talk. and relate appropriately to others. This same view is fostering an increasing number of infanticides among severely disabled newborns. It’s the view that many health workers hold concerning pre-born children with Down syndrome—often, the advice is to consider abortion. They will say, “Why put yourself through so much hardship and this child through untold suffering?” 

I thought of this when I saw Mr. and Mrs. Hill at church again last weekend. As usual, they greeted me as though it were the first time. By next spring, they may be even more confused.  They might not even recognize each other, let alone me. They may have to be placed in more secure quarters, perhaps with 24-hour supervision, but that doesn’t make them any less human.  

In Psalm 8:5, God describes His crowning achievement, “You made [man] a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.” Yes, even man when he has Alzheimer’s.

Psalm 9:18 also says, “the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.” May we never forget that people with special needs possess inherent worth; they have human dignity, even if they lack the cognitive capacity to understand what that dignity looks or feels like. May God give us all grace to remember that, and may God give Mr. and Mrs. Hill grace to remember for as long as they can.