Tom Shakely
Guest ContributorTom Shakely serves as Chief Engagement Officer at Americans United for Life, a national leader in advancing life-affirming law and policy.
Tom previously served as executive director of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, whose Crisis Lifeline serves patients and families facing denial of basic care and which strives to awaken the conscience on human dignity and bioethical issues. He is a member of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, the Knights of Columbus, and Democrats for Life, as well as a Sons of the American Revolution life member, a National Review Institute Washington fellow, and a Leonine Forum fellow. Tom serves as a board member for the Mount Nittany Conservancy as well as the Pro-Life Union of Greater Philadelphia, and is a past member of Archbishop Charles J. Chaputâs Archdiocesan Pastoral Council in Philadelphia.
He holds a B.A. in political science from the Pennsylvania State University and a certificate from the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Health Care Ethics.
Research Authored
âUnresponsive Wakefulness,â Explained Simply
Itâs a simple reality that many patients who are not actively dying are nonetheless described as facing âend of lifeâ issues, often simply due to physical or cognitive disabilities.
âLiving Willsâ Should Foster a Patientâs Will to Live
In late 2017 Italyâs Senate approved, in a 180-71 vote, legislation permitting patient-created Advance Directives. The law endorses a form of Advance Directives so permissive that Italians wonât simply be able to outline their health care wishes prior to possible incapacity, but in fact will be able to hasten their own deaths.