Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
The Netherlands RTL news published an article about a 29 year-old healthy woman who was approved for euthanasia for psychiatric reasons. Her euthanasia death by lethal injection was scheduled for January 26. The article states (google translated):
Sarah has no terminal illness, but knows that she will die in twelve days. Surrounded by friends and in her own bed. She opts for euthanasia because of unbearable and hopeless psychic suffering. "I have been so devoured by my psychiatric disorders that I am completely broken."
Sarah (not her real name) lives in a small town in the east of the country. She struggles with severe psychological problems from an early age. She has borderline, does self-harm, hears voices, has psychoses and is depressed. She has not wanted to live for years. On New Year's Eve, she received permission for euthanasia after a long trajectory. That will happen on January 26, at two o'clock in the afternoon.Sarah, whose real name is Aurelia, is a promoter of euthanasia for psychiatric reasons.
The article points to several factors that have led to her seeking death by suicide.
After her first suicide attempt Aurelia lived in a hospital for 2½ years. She was then in prison for 2½ years after setting fire to the apartment building that she lived-in. In prison she spent time in an isolation cell. She said that she got worse in prison.
In early 2017, she agreed to try a new treatment, but she was told that her condition was too complicated.
In early 2017, she agreed to try a new treatment, but she was told that her condition was too complicated.
Aurelia - we want you to live. (Our plea to Aurelia)
At this moment, your life may seem dark and without a future, but we want you to know that there is help and there are people who want to care for you.
Many people have experienced similar pain and struggles and yet life can change and happiness is possible. Making real choices to live sometimes takes courage.
The article explains the reality of death by assisted suicide (google translated):
At this moment, your life may seem dark and without a future, but we want you to know that there is help and there are people who want to care for you.
Many people have experienced similar pain and struggles and yet life can change and happiness is possible. Making real choices to live sometimes takes courage.
The article explains the reality of death by assisted suicide (google translated):
"I thought it was very intense, they explain how it works, how it works with the drink, how your body responds, and then they tell you that your body and lips are turning blue and what your body is going to do. And then you're dead, but I was shocked by those words, Blue, Death.
Main question here must be what is "healthy"?
ReplyDeleteI sympathize with your mission, but feel i must point out that calling this woman "healthy" is extremely misleading. She is clearly seriously ill. Calling her healthy detracts from the dignity of those who suffer from mental illness and adds to the stigma they face when they reveal their conditions.
ReplyDeleteYour comment is correct. She is not healthy, but she is physically healthy.
ReplyDeleteI believe in the right to life from conception to natural death. Natural death is relatively easy to understand when one deals with physical illness. But what is natural death relating to mental illness? People naturally die of cancer, but they don't naturally die of severe depression (unless it causes them to stop eating, etc.). And I have seen people in more agony from mental health illness than from physical health issues, including cancer. So my question is: How do we treat severe mental illness (in the context of the Dutch woman I have to believe that all psychological treatment, medicine and therapy, had been tried) and how do we define natural death for mental illness.
ReplyDeleteWe need to pray for those who are suffering from the horror of metal illness, and for this poor soul in need that God have Mercy on her
ReplyDeleteIs she a Catholic? She can be helped by an good exorcist.
ReplyDeleteThere is no illness which is stronger than Jesus Christ.
If she is not, she can be asked and be baptized, and then helped by an good Catholic priest exorcist.
But definitely no one should wish to be killed by no one else.
That the medicine have no solution for many diseases, we knew that already.
That medicine-men made up now an option which is in simple words, " but we kill you ", is beyond any healthy human mind, or so-called humanity.
Ivan
I am not sure what "approved" means. To my knowledge, there is no pre-approval process under Dutch law; only a post-factum assessment. I have checked the original Dutch article - itself not the most scientifically reliable source! - and it seems to me that the "approval" is simply the judgment from the consulting physician, as required by law; this physician too thought the patient meets the legal criteria for euthanasia. However, none of that amounts to some kind of formal, state sanctioned pre-approval.
ReplyDeleteI note too that, at least by the description in the Dutch article, the patient has very dramatic psychiatric problems, which also result in serious physical harm (such as daily self-mutilation and suicide attempts). So I don't think she qualifies as being physically healthy either.
That's not to say hers is a not an ethically troublesome case. But we need to present the facts correctly so as to not open ourselves up to easy criticism from advocates of scenarios such as this one that we don't know whaty we are talking about.
My husband has bi-polar disorder with psychosis. He spent most of 2017 in hospital and is currently there since he self-harmed in October. Despite this, he does not want to die and the doctors are trying to find the right balance of medication. I have been doing a lot of reading on the subject of psychiatric disorders and food intolerances, and I know one woman who has eliminated her depression (as well as her arthritis) by doing food elimination diet. She is doing this all herself since her doctor did not subscribe to it. She is 26. I do not know why the health profession has not embraced this treatment as a possible solution for some people who are particularly resistant to drug treatment. This woman in Holland sounds like a good candidate for food elimination diet. It is worth a try and she has nothing to lose by trying. Indeed, she has everything to gain; HER LIFE.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone suggested to Aurelia (lovely name) to have an officially trained and fully accredited priest visit her, with his safeguard back-up of course, in order to perform an exorcism on her? It would indeed delight Satan that this young woman would have her life taken away. Another conquest for him. Holland has indeed become a place where hopelessness is taken care off with poison. God grant safe guidance to Aurelia.
ReplyDeleteMairin T
Agree. This is first thing that came to my mind after reading this case. Nothing lost, but possibly eternity gained.
DeleteGod bless.
Dear Jos:
ReplyDeleteThe Netherlands does have an approval process for euthanasia and a post-death reporting system. When someone is requesting euthanasia for psychiatric reasons, there needs to be at least one psychiatrist approving of the lethal injection. The fact that Aurelia went to the euthanasia clinic for approval made the process possible since they specialize in euthanasia for psychiatric reasons.
She does not receive euthanasia by means of lethal injection, but assisted suicide through a drink
ReplyDeleteMarleen Peters
ReplyDeleteThere are several errors in the article. If you write about it, do it correct
We should look and see how Jesus dealt with such cases concerning these poor souls and how he set them free such as the Gerasene demoniac. It is sad that the only solution this world has is DEATH! The father of Death is Satan which is come to Kill, Steal and Destroy (torture), but Jesus came to give us victory over Death! It is also sad that the mainstream Church is dead when it comes to these critical matters. There are however a few "real" deliverance ministries that are full of the Spirit and have successfully handled thousands of these cases thorough the world. In order for this to work, it must not be treated as a hopeless medical condition, but an evil stronghold that must be broken. The devil will bring about physical symptoms of course, but at the root are dark forces that dominate and hold captive and Jesus can break them and set us free. I pray that she finds real help and sees the light. This is why the Bible tells us to keep our minds on things above and bring every thought captive into obedience of Christ. Even as the secular world recognizes, the battle is all in the mind. I pray she is made whole again!
ReplyDeleteI hope that there be some way to translate the following so this young lady could read this. This is Part I of a story that could save her life.
ReplyDeleteDear Amelia,
I am from California, in the USA. My name is John. I am 47 years old.
I know where you are coming from. From 1986 to 1992 I tried suicide 18 times, the first six for a physical reason, that latter 12 for psychiatric. In 1985 I suffered chemical burns over half my face, turning my white Caucasian skin beet red over my cheeks, nose, and chin. I had no family support and no doctor to go to, but by the grace of God, my own grit, and a bit of intelligence I managed to self-treat, so that by 1989 I was cured.
I also suffered through several addictions at the time. I was fighting this plus three addictions, all at the same time. No help from family for these either. A ton of pain for a mere teenager to carry.
I remember the first time I tried to end it all. That was by pills too. But I got too scared and soon vomited them up.
When these difficulties were overcome in 1989, I thought I might finally have peace. Instead, my mind couldn’t handle peace so it invented a new, dreadful illness, an anxiety condition so horrible it dwarfed anything that had come before. I remember what it was like to stay in one psychiatric hospital after another, to have my body pumped up with all sorts of drugs, none of which worked. On this my family spent thousands.
I saw the European article on your case. I saw how your arms looked. They reminded me of the things I did to my arms. I remember cutting my wrists many times, but being too squeamish to get in the tub and finish the job. I remember the night I spent two hours in a car in our garage, the engine on the whole time. The only reasons why I am alive today is because I forgot to plug the garage vent and I didn’t know you had to plug the exhaust pipe.
This will be continued in Part 2.
Conclusion to my story. This is Part III of a series.
ReplyDeleteAurelia, why would you want to end your life when, at 29, there is so much love for you out there and you have so much love to give? Love is the answer for so many ills, not death. Know that you are loved all around the world, and are being prayed for all around the world, from the Americas to as far as India. I can’t offer an easy road, but if you choose life the present difficulties, with help of God and others, will come to an end. You can then lead the life God intended for you, and when the time comes for Him to call you, be in His loving embrace forever with happiness you cannot possibly imagine.
There will be many people making comments about the ethics of assisted suicide and euthanasia. Very few will have a story similar to ours. They don’t know the pain we know. My 18 times doesn’t quite reach your number, but it comes close. So take it from me, choose life. There is survival. There is life on Earth after all the suffering. There is another day.
God bless,
John W.
I sign the Petition/Letter knowing that Aurelia will remain tormented until someone close to her brings in a godly man who is cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, walks with Him by faith in the Lord who holds supreme power over the evil spirits (demons) who torment her. So, signing is not enough; I must also pray for her, that God will deliver her from the Accuser who oppresses her.
ReplyDelete-- George
Love what you are doing here!
ReplyDeleteYour Injury and Illness Prevention Program
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I agree that faith in Christ (being 'born-again') changes one's life. I, however, still suffer from my mental illness. The question rather should be: why should anyone have the right to pass on his pschotic mental illnesses to some other poor soul? After all, the Bible teaches it's best not to marry, and life with mental illness is horrible.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, I want eugenics to be implemented world-wide. The Catholic Church sinned greatly by opposing it.
Further, the atomization of the West, its decadent philosophies from feminism, to multiculturalism, relativism, nihilism atheism and so on has certainly helped alienate many people.
There are not many healthy communities left in Europe where the faith is still lived, where Churches are healthy. With an active Christian community, one may be able to endure even mental illness (like the German Catholic Reinhold Schneider). But alone, as a mentally ill person? Not defending suicide here, but that requires strong faith and creates lots of strain.
The concept of eugenics is horrific. Eugenics is based on some people being considered not only less than equal, but so much less than equal that they will have their life or health manipulated without consent.
ReplyDeleteMental illness is a serious condition and I feel for you, but the better way is to find a caring community.
What community? The West is falling apart, mass immigration/diversity being a crucial part -- see Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone.
ReplyDeleteI only live because of my faith, otherwise there would be zero reasons for me not to kill myself. Which is why I understand women like her.
Eugenics isn't horrific if done in a rational, humane manner. After all, 1) most women kill their children in the West via "abortion" b) sexual morality no longer exists: whereas in the past you has to he capable to marry, which was the only way to have sex/procreate, nowadays there aren't any checks at all. and c) no one has the right to pass on genes for mental illness, modern science is able even to tell how likely it is you'll pass on certain traits; Rober Plomin did this with himself, the results being fairly accurate.
Chris Langan has an IQ around 195-210, and is pro-eugenics -- he calls it "anti-dysgenics" -- too.
And yes, there are people more fit than others. That's obvious, because the majority is not mentally ill; therefore, those who are should be sterilized. I bet the vast majority wouldn't even care. And no "right" exists to have sex or marry.
P. S. Thanks for your concerns, it's certainly appreciated, but I never was a people person and don't even attend Church anymore. Frankly, I just don't like people and I hate my life. As I wrote above, were I still an atheist, no amount of meds, community, fame, money would be able to convince me not to end this torture my life is. And I also suffer physically on top: my genetics are worthless scum, and I'm glad when I'm dead and my line, too.