Conflicting demands between functional and legal family units

This article describes a case in which the health-care team initiated treatments assuming that the information provided by the patient was true. Following the onset of complications requiring additional consents and leading to a long-term relationship with family members, there was serious conflict between what was discovered to be a functional family unit and a legal family unit. The patient's wishes were uncertain and not legally supported. After being declared competent for consent, the patient still failed to clearly communicate his wishes to those affected. The case is followed by an ethical analysis.