Louis was my friend: Another Belgian story.

This is another personal experience from Belgium. They abound. Now that the Euthanasia Stop group has a version of their website in English, I'm sure we'll read more...

by Bernard MICHELET.

I met Louis in his retirement home. For several years, we meet regularly. Lately, Louis had won a medal because it was him who had walked the longest distance across the house. He proudly wore it everyday.

Louis - who had relapsed for a mental problem already successfully treated before - was hospitalized for pneumonia. I went to see him everyday. He had no family who could take care of him. My visits made us both happy. It gratified me every time with a wonderful smile which he had the secret.

Louis had swallowing problems, so he was artificially fed and hydrated. I asked him if he was hurting and he replied no. I have also asked him if he wanted to live and he clearly said "yes" in front of two other people. And Louis had a relapse of the pneumonia but was not given antibiotics.

One day, I noticed that they had removed the baxter that fed him. Nurses, a little embarrassed - while our contacts had hitherto been open and cordial - told me they could not give me any information. Being close to Louis and because he had no one to protect him, I started right away a procedure to be his trusted person as he wished. After removing Louis' food, it was his hydration that had been removed. On his last evening, he looked at me and said "I'm thirsty! ".

I arrived too late with my papers.

Louis should have still been living, but his doctor - impregnated with the euthanasia frenzy mentality - having found that he had a mental problem and he had no family anymore, decided that Louis should no longer live.

Oh ... he did not give him a lethal injection. He just set the conditions for him to die soon ... against his will.

Louis was my friend, he died in Ghent on June 25, 2013.