Euthanasia threatens the lives of the grieving.

My son Frank died in a car accident in 1997. He was 19. He was my oldest child, my only son (I have 3 daughters).

In the first year after his death, I wanted to die. I wanted the agony and pain I was feeling to end. Death seemed to be the only way. Yet, I did not REALLY want to die. I wanted the PAIN to die. The second year after his death was even worse. It was not until the third year that I started to heal.

I became involved in Bereaved Families of Ontario in Kingston Ontario, and I soon realized that almost all mother's feel the same way. I met a mom - both of her daughters were killed on the same day in a car accident (they were 19 and 16) and she had no other children. We hear stories similar to this often on the news.

This pain of the bereaved parent is felt physically, emotionally and spiritually. Some parents build shrines in their homes for their lost child, and never really heal. Some are mad at God.

I felt torn apart, physically. I hurt all over. It was as if my body was rebelling against Frank's death. Emotionally I was a mess. It doesn't matter if you have other children when one of them dies. Sometimes, the other children suffer more because at a time when they need you the most, you are least available to them.

I can see the problem of euthanasia extending its deathly grip on the bereaved. What about the widows and widowers who can't bear to live without their spouse?

We need our governments to put more money into programs to help the bereaved before this is another group targeted by the euthanasia movement.

Bill 52 which was just passed in Quebec frightens me. 

Sincerely,
Caroline Yates
Kingston, Ontario