Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Euthanasia Prevention Coalition: Laura

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Monday, October 14, 2019

Physically healthy 23-year-old Belgian woman is being considered for euthanasia.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Tragic news.

Just as you thought you heard it all, Kelly, a 23-year-old physically healthy woman who lives in Leuven Belgium who is being considered for death by euthanasia (lethal injection) for psychiatric reasons.

Please sign the Letter of Hope to Kelly (Link). Share the letter of Hope with your friends.

In an interview with Ian Birrell, for the Daily Mail, Kelly speaks about seeking euthanasia for psychological pain, even though experts agree that young people will often get better with treatment. Birrell reports:

Many psychiatrists and most Belgians oppose extension of euthanasia to mental health cases. Some experts argue diagnosis is subjective, unlike severe physical illness, and insist the lives of distressed younger patients can improve with time, therapy and medication.

Yet Kelly, whose birthday is this week, plans to die as soon as legally possible so has no time for such arguments. 'It feels like discrimination,' she said. 'It makes me angry. It's just not fair. They don't understand the pain.

'People look at me and see someone so young but I feel bad inside all the time. It is not the age that is important but the suffering of the person.'

Kelly has an identical twin sister who will suffer greatly if Kelly dies by euthanasia. Birrell explains that Kelly had not yet told her family her plan to die by euthanasia.

Kelly lives with her family near Leuven – yet incredibly had not told her parents, identical twin sister or younger sibling of her plan. She was due to break the news to them four days after our discussion, something she admitted she was dreading.

'It is not going to be easy to tell them. I think my sisters will understand more than my parents. But it will obviously be very difficult, especially for my twin sister.'

The reason for her failure to tell her family soon becomes clear. She is fond of her father, a salesman, but said her relationship with her mother, a former cleaning lady, was very difficult, leaving her feeling unloved and insecure at home.

Joris Vandenberghe

Kelly, who met her boyfriend Bregt while attending group sessions, is living with psychological pain. She has attempted suicide, been hospitalized, has eating disorders and self-harms, but many people live with similar psychological pain. Birrell reports:

She decided to apply for euthanasia after learning it was lawful and possible from a psychologist in the hospital.

'I felt 'yes',' she said, pumping her fist as she recalled the moment. 'I immediately went and looked up all the information I could find.'

To win the right to die, Kelly – who has been unable to work since leaving school beyond a bit of babysitting – needs backing from two psychiatrists and one other doctor. They must agree her mental pain is unbearable and untreatable.

She applied seven months ago and is being assessed by Joris Vandenberghe, a local professor who has helped draft stricter rules for psychiatrists amid concerns that some patients died despite treatment options being available.

Birrell then tells us about Dr Joris Vandenberghe:

...he recently wrote an academic article admitting that Belgium's policy was 'highly controversial and raises difficult ethical and clinical issues'.

He argued its laws had failed to ensure 'sufficient checks and balances to promote reluctance to act on a patient's death-wish', concluding that more investment in mental healthcare could prevent some, but not all, of the demand for euthanasia from distressed patients.

Last year it emerged that three Flemish doctors, including a high-profile psychiatrist accused of being behind almost half the cases of euthanasia for mental health disorders, were being investigated on suspicion of 'poisoning' a woman who had autism.

Kelly needs support in living, not euthanasia. Sadly, many people experience psychological suffering but its not a reason to kill. Euthanasia is an abandonment of people at a low time of their life, but euthanasia for psychological reasons is an abandonment of hope.

It is my hope that Kelly finds hope and a purpose to live.

Important resource articles

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Euthanasia for depression to be debated in Canada

By Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Tara Brousseau-Snider

Canada's parliament will soon debate whether to euthanasia should be permitted for psychological suffering.

The Supreme Court of Canada, on February 6, struck down Canada's assisted suicide law and used language that permits euthanasia. The Supreme Court did not define the terminology but it stated that an assisted death could be permitted for someone who has irremediable pain caused by physical or psychological suffering.

CBC Manitoba reported on an unnamed Winnipeg woman is pushing the issue by requesting a euthanasia based on psychological suffering. Tara Brousseau-Snider, executive director of the Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba stated that woman who wants euthanasia said: "If it was in place, they'd apply for it."

Brousseau-Snide told CBC Manitoba that she is concerned about a law permitting euthanasia for depressed people.

"And I'm very concerned about this law. It's not a permission-giving thing. Governments should not mandate that if you're depressed, it's OK to kill yourself."

John Melnick told CBC Manitoba that:

"Let's just say I am glad it wasn't legal before now," said John Melnick, who's lived with depression for decades, and tried three times to kill himself.

"Because if [physician-assisted death] was in place then, I likely would have tried to get one. And I wouldn't be here today."

Melnick said thanks to a combination of therapies, he is today alive and well.

Whereas Queens University philosophy professor, Udo Schuklenk, said that he hopes euthanasia will be approved for depression.

Euthanasia based on psychological suffering is permitted in the Netherlands, Belgium and Québec. The 2014 Netherlands euthanasia report stated that there were 5306 assisted deaths with 41 assisted deaths for psychiatric reasons and 81 assisted deaths for dementia in 2014.

In 2015, euthanasia for psychiatric reasons included a healthy 63 year old autistic man who was depressed and felt that he had no reason to live and a healthy woman with tinnitus.

Emily

There were several controversial Belgian psychiatric euthanasia cases in 2015.

In June, psychiatrist, Dr Lieve Thienpont approved the euthanasia death of Emily, a 24-year-old physically healthy woman who was living with suicidal ideation. The good news is that Emily decided to live. In October the euthanasia death of Simona de Moor was done by Dr Van Hooy based on psychological suffering connected to the death of her daughter.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition rejects all forms of assisted death, especially lethal injections based on psychological suffering.

Thursday, December 31, 2015

Important 2015 articles about euthanasia & assisted suicide.

There were many important articles concerning euthanasia and assisted suicide in 2015.

These are the 10 most popular articles with five more important articles from 2015.

1. June 24, EPC told the world about “Laura” a healthy 24-year-old Belgian woman who is living with suicidal ideation and was approved for euthanasia by the psychiatrist at the euthanasia clinic (Link to the article).

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Belgium: Experts call for the removal of euthanasia on the grounds of psychological suffering

This week 65 Belgian professors, psychologists and psychiatrists signed the open letter below. It has been translated from the Flemish version published in De Morgen and informed by the translation by Trodo Lemmens.

Open letter: Death as therapy?

Remove euthanasia on the ground of purely psychological suffering from the law

Ariane Bazan (clinical psychologist, Free University of Brussels), Gertrudis Van de Vijver (philosopher, University of Ghent) and Willlem Lemmens (ethicist, University of Antwerp) wrote this open letter on behalf of 65 professors, psychiatrists and psychologists.

8 December 2015

We, representatives of various relevant occupational groups, are alarmed about the increasing trivializing of euthanasia on the ground of psychological suffering only.

For the first time since the law was put into effect in 2002, a decision to allow euthanasia – the case of Dr Marc Van Hoey – has been challenged by the evaluation committee and forwarded to the judiciary. The Australian broadcaster SBS made a documentary about this euthanasia case and the conversations between the patient and the doctor. The Economist also published a poignant video report (24 and Ready to Die) on a 24-year-old young lady from Bruges who was granted euthanasia on grounds of psychological suffering, but ultimately declined its execution.

In our open letter in the Artsenkrant “Doctors’ Newspaper” (September 2015) we noted the legal uncertainty of a doctor approving euthanasia based solely on psychological suffering. In this opinion piece we want to draw attention to its specific problematic character, and in particular the fact that it’s impossible to objectify the hopelessness of psychological suffering.

One would expect that this incurability is founded on indications of for example, organic injury or tissue damage – in other words, factors that are independent of what is subjectively felt and thought about the illness. Such objectification is problematic in relation to psychological suffering.

Let’s be clear: psychological suffering is real and can be at least as severe as physical suffering. However, specific to mental suffering is the fact that you can rely only on the word of the sufferer to estimate it. And this is a good thing, because he or she is the only one who knows how much it hurts at that moment. At that moment… because when we suffer psychologically, we are often convinced that no other future is possible anymore. It is often precisely this thought that pushes a person into an abyss, because as long as there is perspective, a person can usually tolerate much.

We see that some who are at first declared incurably ill, eventually abandon the notion of euthanasia because new perspectives appeared. In a paradoxical way, this proves that the illness cannot be called incurable.

Nowadays depression is the most common mental illness: the World Health Organization estimates that one in seven people experience serious depression at some point. If we connect these figures to the fact that hopelessness is one of the central characteristics of a depressive phase, it is clear that feelings of hopelessness are not in any way in proportion to the actual hopelessness of a situation.

In contrast to illnesses that are the consequence of tissue damage, mental suffering is associated with a change in functioning – not a deterioration of tissue. This difference is essential, because such dynamic changes, by definition, can revert and do so sometimes quite suddenly. Thus we see that some who are at first declared incurably ill and granted permission to receive euthanasia on that basis, decide they don’t want euthanasia anymore because new – albeit fragile – perspectives have appeared.

In a paradoxical way, this proves that the illness cannot be called incurable. The subjective assessment of one’s own perspective with regards to mental suffering is therefore no reliable ground for making an “incurable” verdict.

The conclusion is clear: the current law assumes wrongly that there are objective clinical criteria with regard to psychological suffering that could justify euthanasia. It is for this reason that euthanasia on the grounds of psychological suffering alone cannot be regulated by law.

Some also defend the proposition that the mere offering of death as an option can lead to a positive change and that it could therefore be considered a component of good care. In our view, it automatically means the radical failure of the mental health sector. The use of ‘death as therapy’, possibly up to the actual execution of euthanasia, implies an a priori renunciation of what therapy still can and should be: the inexhaustible opening up of new perspectives.

As representatives of the various directly-involved professional groups, from different parts of the country and across classic ideological fault lines, we are alarmed by the increasing trivialisation of euthanasia on the grounds of psychological suffering alone. We believe that this situation is intrinsically linked to the fact that the law is based on subjective criteria.

Therefore we urge that euthanasia based on purely psychological suffering be removed from the current legislation.

Signatories:

Emily "Laura" is a healthy 24 year-old who was approved to die by euthanasia in Belgium. Emily has chosen to live.

By Alex Schadenberg
International Chair, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

The Economist released a video on November 10 concerning Emily, a 24 year-old physically healthy woman who was approved for euthanasia for the reason of psychological suffering. The video is titled 24 & ready to die.

The 21 minute video (bottom of article) interviews Emily, her psychiatrist (Lieve Thienpont), her mother, and her friends. The video ends with Emily deciding not to go through with the lethal injection.

It appears that the Economist was producing a pro-euthanasia video to justify Emily's death by euthanasia except that Emily changed her mind. The video concludes by trying to sell the viewers on the idea that Emily chooses not to die because she has a choice. In reality legal euthanasia has enabled death to be seen as a treatment for psychological pain, enabling her to die by lethal injection.

The greater question is how come Emily was approved for euthanasia? Was she experiencing unremitting suffering?

We first learned about Emily on June 19 in an article by Simone Maas that was published in the Belgian DeMorgen news concerning psychiatrist, Lieve Thienpont, who works with the Belgian euthanasia clinic, and had approved "Laura" for euthanasia. "Laura" was the name that Thienpont used to describe Emily. The article states that Laura is physically healthy but living with psychological pain. (google translated):

She has good friends, loves good coffee and theater. And she has felt that she wanted to die ever since childhood. Laura (24): "Life, that's not for me." This summer, euthanasia will end her life full of inner conflict, depression and self-destruction.

I met the West Flemish Laura at the presentation of the book 'Libera me' euthanasia for psychological reasons. Writer Lieve Thienpont is one of the psychiatrists who gave Laura a positive opinion for euthanasia.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) responded by launching an online campaign asking people to Sign: A Letter of Hope to Laura. More than 12,500 people signed the Letter with many people offering a genuine concern for Laura.

What we learned from the Letter of Hope to Laura is that many people live with depression and similar psychological pain. Psychological pain is a common human condition. Death is not the answer to psychological pain.

The Economist video ends with Emily deciding to live, but Emily remains conflicted. We urge Emily to find a supportive place and to hold onto hope for better days.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Study: 100 requests for euthanasia for psychiatric reasons in Belgium.

Alex Schadenberg

By Alex Schadenberg

International Chair - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) published a "study" on July 28, 2015 examining 100 requests for euthanasia for psychiatric reasons in Belgium.

Four of the six authors of the study are connected to the euthanasia clinic in Belgium.

Wim Distlemans operates the euthanasia clinic in Belgium, and Lieve Thienpont, Kurt Audenaert, Peter P De Deyn work with the euthanasia clinic.

Distelmans has been connected to many of the high profile euthanasia deaths, including Godelieva De Troyer, the mother of Tom Mortier.

Thienport is the psychiatrist who approved the euthanasia death in the recent story of "Laura" the 24-year-old physically healthy Belgian woman who lives with suicidal thoughts.

Thienport was the psychiatrist who examined the 100 people who requested euthanasia for psychiatric reasons.

Link to a Youtube video of Thienport speaking about the study.

The stated objectives of the study are:

first, to report on characteristics of psychiatric patients requesting euthanasia because of psychological suffering; and second, to describe the formal assessment procedures and outcomes of the euthanasia requests. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the determinants, procedures and outcomes of euthanasia requests in a relatively large group of psychiatric patients with psychological suffering.

The objectives of this study should state:

this study was written to justify lethal injection for people who are healthy but living with psychological suffering in Belgium.

It is possible that Distelmans and Thienport designed the study in defense of the practice of euthanasia for psychiatric reasons after receiving complaints.

What did the study find?

The "study" examines 100 consecutive requests for euthanasia at a psychiatric out-patient clinic between October 2007 and December 2011. The analysis of the data closed in December 2012. The data states:

77 euthanasia requests were made by woman, 23 were men,
of the 48 approved requests, 35 died by euthanasia,
1 died by palliative sedation (sedation with withdrawal of water),
the average age was 47,
58 were depressed, 50 had a personality disorder,
12 were autistic, 13 had post traumatic stress disorder, 11 had anxiety disorder, 10 had an eating disorder, and more

The study begins by promoting the "safeguards" in the Belgian euthanasia law and explaining how the safeguards for euthanasia for psychiatric reasons follows tighter guidelines. The first section of the study takes pains to convince the readers that euthanasia is carefully done in Belgium.

It then examines the data from the reported euthanasia deaths indicating that the number of reported euthanasia deaths has been increasing in Belgium from 742 (2004/2005) to 2086 (2010/2011). Belgian statistics indicate that there was a 26% increase in euthanasia deaths in 2013.

The study suggests that an increase in reporting of euthanasia, a requirement of the Belgian euthanasia law, may be reflected in the increased number of reported euthanasia deaths.

"This rise over a 6-year period may reflect a true increase or better reporting of cases of euthanasia."

A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) (March 19, 2015) found that euthanasia represented 4.6% of all deaths in the Flanders region of Belgium in 2013, while the official reports indicate that euthanasia represented 2.4% of all deaths in the Flanders region of Belgium in 2013.

When comparing the NEJM (March 2015) data (Jan - June 2013) from Flanders Belgium to the data in a previous study that was published in the BMJ (November 2010) (June - Dec 2007) from Flanders Belgium, it appears that the percentage of unreported euthanasia deaths is statistically unchanged between 2007 (47%) and 2013 (49%).

Last year, Dr Marc Cosyns, a Belgian euthanasia doctor, admitted that he does not report his euthanasia deaths. With nearly half of all euthanasia deaths not being reported one can safely conclude that the "safeguards" in the Belgian euthanasia law are often ignored.

The study continues to suggest that the Belgian euthanasia law is careful. The study states:

Legally, the physician is required to discuss the wishes of the patient with the relatives named by the patient. Consent from the relatives is not required, and the attending physician needs the patient’s permission to inform family members of the euthanasia request.

This statement may be a response to complaints by families. Tom Mortier was shocked when his depressed mother died by lethal injection, and her family was not informed of her impending death.

People with disabilities are more likely to die by euthanasia for psychiatric reasons.

Of the 100 requests for euthanasia for psychiatric reasons, 81 of them were not employed (8 were retired, 73 were receiving disability allowances or retired early), 14 were working or on a temporary leave, 1 was a student, 1 was in prison, and 1 was on welfare. Primarily, these were people with disabilities who are receiving a disability allowance.

The study does not examine whether the person also had physical disabilities but it indicates that people with disabilities disproportionately die by euthanasia for psychiatric reasons.

Euthanasia as "treatment" for psychiatric reasons:

The study states that:

38 people who requested euthanasia for psychiatric reasons were referred for further testing. Out of these, 17 of them were approved for lethal injection and 10 died by euthanasia.

62 people who requested euthanasia for psychiatric reasons were not referred for further testing. Out of these, 31 were approved for lethal injection and 25 died by euthanasia.

35 of 48 people who were approved for lethal injection died by euthanasia. The 13 people, in this group, who did not die by euthanasia, 8 changed their mind, 2 withdrew their application based on family response, 2 died by suicide and 1 was in prison.

65 people did not die by euthanasia. By the end of 2012, 57 were alive, 48 of the 57 cases were on hold based on the person receiving therapy or not needing therapy, 9 of these cases the euthanasia request was still being considered.

of the 35 people who died by euthanasia for psychiatric reasons, 14 of them were lethally injected by a doctor at the euthanasia clinic.

The authors should have collected more data about the 57 people who were alive at the end of 2012. Since the study was published in July 2015 and since all of the participants were patients of Lieve Thienpont, therefore further information would have been available and helpful.

Psychological suffering?

The study concludes by pointing out that the concept of "unbearable suffering" is subjective and undefined. The study states:

A literature review made clear that the concept of ‘unbearable suffering’ has not yet been defined adequately, and that views on this concept are in a state of flux. It is generally accepted that this concept is considered to be subjective, dependent on personal values, and that it must be determined in the first place by the patient.

Unbearable suffering for psychological reasons is even more subjective and undefined, as stated by the study:

Unfortunately, there are no guidelines for the management of euthanasia requests on grounds of mental suffering in Belgium.

This "study" has was done by members of the euthanasia movement. All of the requests for euthanasia were made by people who were patients of Lieve Thienpont, a psychiatrist who works with Wim Distlemans at the euthanasia clinic.

This may be the first study to examine the experience with euthanasia for psychological pain, but it is also a study that appears to have been done to create more acceptance of euthanasia for psychiatric reasons.

Recently the Supreme Court of Canada decided that euthanasia could be acceptable for reasons of physical or psychological suffering. Let's hope that Canada keeps a tight lid on euthanasia for psychiatric reasons.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Belgium's sad assisted suicide path.

Published by OneNewsNow on July 22.

By Charlie Butts

Alex Schadenberg

An expert on the subject contends that Belgium provides ample evidence of the room to abuse euthanasia and assisted suicide after it is legalized.

Sign the letter of Hope to Laura.

One case in question is a 24-year-old woman in Belgium who has received permission to have her doctor kill her this summer. The reason is that she has experienced suicidal thoughts since childhood. Alex Schadenberg of Euthanasia Prevention Coalition International tells OneNewsNow that although her disorder is treatable, she decided to request suicide for another reason.

“In fact, you have the sad reality of a woman who has been suffering with suicidal thoughts, but at the same time she had a friend who also died by euthanasia,” he says. “You put the two together and [can see that] she's seeking to follow that same sad path. What she needs is someone who really wants to support her, who is going to journey with her, who is going to give her good counseling and support. She doesn't need death.”

He says that's how far down the path to a death mentality Belgium has gone, offering a lethal injection for someone who has treatable depression.

“Once you allow killing for one reason, there are many reasons people might want to die,” he says. “The only question is what are we going to say yes or no to, and in Belgium they've gone far down that road. It is better never to enter that road.”

Schadenberg says that's a warning not only to the United States but also to Canada, where doctor-assisted suicide was legalized this year by Supreme Court edict.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Healthy 24-year-old Belgian healthy woman is scheduled to die by euthanasia.

Alex Schadenberg
International Chair - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

The Belgian euthanasia insanity continues with the case of a 24-year-old healthy woman "Laura" who is scheduled to die by euthanasia this summer for psychological reasons, now the Inquisitr has provided more information on this horrific story. (Original article). Laura is not her real name.

"Laura"

The June 19 DeMorgen article by Simone Maas explains (google translated):

She has good friends, loves good coffee and theater. And she has felt that she wanted to die ever since childhood. Laura (24): "Life, that's not for me." This summer, euthanasia will end her life full of inner conflict, depression and self-destruction.

I met the West Flemish Laura at the presentation of the book 'Libera me' euthanasia for psychological reasons. Writer Lieve Thienpont is one of the psychiatrists who gave Laura a positive opinion for euthanasia.

Today the Inquisitr published an interview with Laura that explains the story in an even more shocking manner. According to the Inquisitr, Laura experiences suicidal thoughts, otherwise known as suicidal ideation.

Laura, a 24-year-old woman is planning on dying this summer via euthanasia. Unlike many cases before, Laura is not sick with cancer or dying. She simply has had suicidal thoughts since childhood and claims, “Life, that’s not for me.”

Laura claims that she has been living with suicidal ideation since kindergarten. The medical news defines suicidal ideation as:

Suicidal thoughts, also known as suicidal ideation are thoughts about how to kill oneself, which can range from a detailed plan to a fleeting consideration and does not include the final act of killing oneself. The majority of people who experience suicidal ideation do not carry it through.

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts contact Your Life Counts.

According to the Medical news suicidal ideation can be triggered by other suicides.

Researchers reported in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) that suicide can be contagious.

Dr. Ian Colman, from the Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine and Canada Research Chair in Mental Health Epidemiology, explained that one person's suicide can have an impact on another's suicidal thoughts or behavior, especially among teenagers.

He adds that the teenagers do not necessarily have to be associated with the person who died by suicide to start having suicidal thoughts or attempting to end his/her own life.

It appears that Laura's suicidal ideation may be linked to the euthanasia death of Sarah. The Inquisitr stated:

Due to these issues, she began seeking treatment in a psychiatric institution over the last three years. Laura says she first began considering euthanasia when she became friends with another woman named Sarah, who also ended her life about a year and a half ago. Now, Laura is also a candidate for euthanasia for psychological reasons, which is when a patient is in mental pain and wants to die.

Euthanasia for psychological reasons is done when a psychiatrist agrees that the psychological pain that a person is experiencing cannot be relieved in a way that the individual finds acceptable.

Godelieva De Troyer

That means, Laura may be treatable, but she has decided to only accept death as a "treatment."

Similar to the euthanasia deaths of Godelieva De Troyer (64), a healthy Belgian woman who was living with depression or Ann G (44) who asked for euthanasia for psychological pain after being sexually exploited by her psychiatrist, Laura has been approved for lethal injection, even though she is physically healthy and only 24-years-old.

In March, the chairman of the federal euthanasia commission in Belgium admitted that 50 to 60 euthanasia deaths are done on psychiatric patients each year.

Similar cases are occurring in the Netherlands, where a report indicated there were 42 euthanasia deaths for psychiatric reasons and 97 euthanasia deaths for people with dementia in 2013.