What’s the value of an older person’s remaining life?
How about someone with Stage IV cancer?
The subtext from the defense is always that older people and sick people would have died anyway even if they hadn’t been run-over, dropped during a bed transfer, prescribed the wrong medication, etc.
We deal with these issues a lot.
Apparently so do drug companies. I’ve been watching a lot of the Australian Open. Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo and Yervoy ad is in heavy rotation.
It basically extends life expectancy by two months.
But during those additional two months people with cancer and their families can do a lot of living.
The Golden Years are called that for a reason. Even though the kids may be grown, parents remain a daily part of their lives. They continue to provide love, companionship and guidance.
The law of scarcity applies to everything. The less there is of something, the more valuable it becomes.
Life is precious — as it begins to run out, moments matter. Time is scarce and it takes on enormous value. Each day is a treasure. Every moment matters.
It’s not just that way for older people or sick people. It’s that way for their loved ones too.
I like the way that the drug company responsible for this commercial captures what’s important at the end of life. An ugly sweater may cost $50. But wearing it during that last holiday season with someone you love is an experience that’s enormously valuable.