Despondent Family

A 10 year old boy is admitted to the hospital after being hit by a car. The boy lapses into a coma and is put on life support. His condition continues to deteriorate and a week later is declared dead by his physician after loss of brain stem function. However, he continues to breathe with the aid of machines. The physician notifies the boy’s family that he will take the boy off of life support. The father replies that doctors today have amazing machines that can do anything, and he thinks there is hope that they can bring him back. A sister who is a nurse at a hospital swears that she has seen others on life support recover. An hour later the doctor receives a call from a lawyer who tells him that if he takes the boy off of life support, “I will see you in jail.” What should the doctor do?