Anna Quindlen wrote of a situation that she has never experienced: the rearing of a hopelessly ill child.

Although the law sounds reasonable, it has proven severely detrimental to patient care and has resulted in scores of futile attempts at resuscitation of hopelessly ill patients.

The basic problem for the Immigration and Naturalization Service is that its outdated citizenship machinery is hopelessly ill equipped to deal with the flood of applicants.

The doctors were asked: "Would you favor or oppose withdrawing life support systems, including food and water, from hopelessly ill or irreversibly comatose patients if they or their families request it?"

There are people who come to us with hopelessly ill pets who want to do everything they can to help, regardless of the cost.

The company's unionized work force and rigorous apprenticeships seemed hopelessly ill suited to the realities of a global economy.

To the Editor: "New York Rule Compounds Dilemma Over Life Support" (front page, May 12) illustrates difficulties faced by hopelessly ill patients and their families.

When physicians and patients' families agree to terminate life support from hopelessly ill patients, the state does not stand in their way.

Several years ago Lily Stone signed a document called a "living will," rejecting in advance any heroic medical treatment in the event she became hopelessly ill and unable to speak for herself.

The authors, who represent a variety of medical specialities, had participated in a conference on hopelessly ill patients.