Nancy Cruzan (July 20, 1957–December 26, 1990) was a figure in the right-to-die movement. Cruzan was born in Carterville, Missouri, and entered into a persistent vegetative state after a 1983 car accident. Cruzan's family fought to have her feeding tube removed, and the case went up to the U.S. Supreme Court. There the justices ruled that the parents didn't provide "clear and convincing evidence" that Nancy didn't want to be on artificial life support. The parents presented the evidence to the state of Missouri in Cruzan v. Missouri Dept. of Health, and the state ruled in favor of the family. Nancy's feeding tube was taken out in December 1990. She died a week later.
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Last updated: 07-31-2005 16:03:37
