▁moral ▁or ▁eth ical ▁position ▁on ▁the ▁issue , ▁ins isting ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁only ▁interpre ting ▁the ▁laws ▁as ▁they ▁existed . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁decision , ▁Ke ene ▁was ▁kept ▁alive ▁much ▁longer ▁than ▁most ▁an ence phal ic ▁b ab ies . ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁by ▁the ▁diss ent ing ▁judge ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁that ▁the ▁court ▁should ▁have ▁used ▁the ▁condition ▁an ence ph aly ▁as ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁the ▁case , ▁not ▁the ▁rec urr ing ▁subs idi ary ▁sympt oms ▁of ▁resp ir atory ▁dist ress . ▁As ▁the ▁irre vers ibility ▁of ▁an ence ph aly ▁is ▁widely ▁understood ▁in ▁the ▁medical ▁community , ▁he ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁continue ▁fut ile ▁care ▁only ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁repet itive ▁di version ▁of ▁medical ▁equipment . ▁ ▁Ke ene ▁died ▁on ▁April ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁at ▁Fair f ax ▁Hospital , ▁at ▁age ▁ 2 ▁years ▁ 1 7 4 ▁days . ▁ ▁Sign ific ance ▁The ▁case ▁of ▁Baby ▁K ▁is ▁of ▁particular ▁importance ▁to ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁bio eth ics ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁issues ▁it ▁ra ises : ▁the ▁definition ▁of ▁death , ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁person hood , ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁fut ile ▁medical ▁care , ▁and ▁many ▁issues ▁rel ating ▁to ▁the ▁allocation ▁of ▁scar ce ▁resources . ▁Some ▁comment ators , ▁including ▁Arthur ▁Ko hr man ▁and ▁Jacob ▁App el , ▁have ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁r uling ▁effectively ▁und erm ined