Deaf Twins Going Blind Euthanized

gimmesometruth27

haven't seen a discussion on this issue here in a long time.

i just came across this article. i'm not sure how i feel about it... normally i am all for patients having the right to choose euthanasia in cases of terminal illness, but this was not terminal. part of me feels like this was murder. they were not terminal, but i guess none of us could ever feel or imagine their suffering...

i guess more than anything it just makes me feel sad.


Deaf Twins Going Blind Euthanized

http://news.yahoo.com/deaf-twins-going- ... ories.html

Two deaf twin brothers in Belgium were euthanized by their doctor after realizing they were going blind and would be unable to see each other ever again, their physician says.

The 45-year-old men, whose names have not been made public, were legally put to death by lethal injection at the Brussels University Hospital in Jette, on Dec. 14.

The men, who were born deaf, had a cup of coffee and said goodbye to other family members before walking into hospital room together to die, their doctor told Belgian television station RTL.

"They were very happy. It was a relief to see the end of their suffering," said Dr. David Dufour.

"They had a cup of coffee in the hall. It went well and a rich conversation. Then the separation from their parents and brother was very serene and beautiful," he said. "At the last there was a little wave of their hands and then they were gone,"

More than 1,000 people legally availed themselves of doctor-assisted deaths in Belgium in 2011, most of them were terminally ill cancer patients.

The brothers are unique in that their illness was not terminal. Belgian law, however, allows doctors to euthanize "suffering" patients who are both mentally sound, over 18 and want to die.

Belgian lawmakers are considering a law that would extend euthanasia to dementia patients and children, whose families and doctors consented.

Jeanwah

Bizarre. Is this a real story? These people weren't even sick!

gimmesometruth27

yeah it is real.

Faced with blindness, deaf twins choose euthanasia

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013 ... nasia?lite

A pair of adult identical twins in Belgium have been legally killed at their request, the men's doctor told journalists.

The 45-years-old men, who were born deaf, spent their lives side-by-side — growing up together and then, as adults, sharing an apartment and working as cobblers together, according to Belgian media reports.

The men’s names have not been released but photographs of the identical twins from the Antwerp region have been made available to some media outlets.

Their doctor, David Dufour, told Belgium’s RTL Television over the weekend that the two men had been losing their eyesight for several years and soon would have been completely blind. The prospect of being blind as well as deaf was unbearable to them, he said.

"They were fully aware of their decision," Dufour said.

After winning approval from the necessary authorities, the two men received lethal injections at a Belgian hospital in December.

Dufour described their last moments: "They had a last cup of coffee and everything was fine. They said goodbye to their parents and brother and all was serene. They waved — and that was that."

Under a 2002 law, Belgians are allowed to end their own lives if a doctor judges an individual has made his or her wishes clear and is suffering unbearable pain.

The case of the twins was unusual because the two men were not approaching the end of their natural lives nor were they terminally ill.

But Jacqueline Herremans, a member of the Belgian Commission of Euthanasia, told RTL that they did meet the legal requirements as their suffering was grave and incurable. When they became blind as well as deaf, he said, they would not have been able to lead autonomous lives, and that with only a sense of touch they had no prospects of a future.

She acknowledged this was an exceptional case.

"Evidently they had a particular destiny. They were two human beings who have lived together, grown up together, worked together and wanted to die together. Their suffering may not have been physical, but there was psychological suffering," she said.

In 2010 and 2011, a total of 2,086 people died by euthanasia in Belgium, according to the country’s Euthanasia Commission.

Belgium is now looking at introducing a legal amendment that would allow children and those with dementia the option of seeking permission to die. If passed later this year, the option of euthanasia will be extended to minors affected by an incurable illness, or suffering that cannot be alleviated.

the wolf

Yeah, I'm not sure how I feel about this either gimmie.

Very sad indeed.

Prince Of Dorkness

See... no.

These are two people who have a very serious co-dependent mental disorder. Being unable to see each other. Yes.. it would suck. But sorry, allowing those people to be euthanized is... A very dangerous step.

I'm going blind too. But no way I'm offing myself.

josevolution

Well they were allready deaf and now they were going blind what else could they endure , i feel sad for them but i'm glad they had the final say .....Fucking life not fare at all .

hedonist

I read about this earlier and while I don't know how I'd handle the same situation, it's apparently (and thankfully) their right to seek this out.

Kinda comes down to this:

Their doctor, David Dufour, told Belgium’s RTL Television over the weekend that the two men had been losing their eyesight for several years and soon would have been completely blind. The prospect of being blind as well as deaf was unbearable to them, he said.

"They were fully aware of their decision," Dufour said.

catefrances

im not sure what im feeling after reading that story. but i am in support of people taking control of their own deaths.

Thirty Bills Unpaid

A raw deal for sure. Imagine being blind and deaf.

On one hand... you'd think they have had the time to learn some coping mechanisms before going blind... but on the other hand... it wouldn't be a lot of fun.

With taste and touch as your only senses, you're not exactly enjoying a whole lot. Being completely dependent on others to do virtually everything for you would be difficult to accept.

I get where they are at. I support their decision. Of course I wish for something better for them, but I think it would be wrong to tell them to 'suck it up' if they weren't up for the task.

peacefrompaul

catefrances wrote:

im not sure what im feeling after reading that story. but i am in support of people taking control of their own deaths.

I feel the same way, Cate... totally agree

Prince Of Dorkness

catefrances wrote:

but i am in support of people taking control of their own deaths.

I am to a point.

I think letting clinically depressed people kill themselves is against the "first do no harm" bit and I think it's unethical. I think that doctor-assisted suicide should be like gender reassignment surgery... not something that you can just go in and ask for but a very long, drawn-out process since it's an irreversible procedure.

catefrances

Prince Of Dorkness wrote:

catefrances wrote:

but i am in support of people taking control of their own deaths.

I am to a point.

I think letting clinically depressed people kill themselves is against the "first do no harm" bit and I think it's unethical. I think that doctor-assisted suicide should be like gender reassignment surgery... not something that you can just go in and ask for but a very long, drawn-out process since it's an irreversible procedure.

we take so much effort to control birth, why should i not be able to die when i want? i understand the finality of the action i just dont want to be forced or force others to live if thats not their wish.

Jeanwah

I think the problem I have with this is that they are not blind yet. It's like, they ended their lives before they are at that point of not wanting to live anymore. Now, those living with dementia and terminal illness, I completely understand. But these folks aren't even there yet. And the articles mention nothing about their health. Were they healthy when they chose to die? I just have a hard time reconciling that. And because of these two, it's probably the beginning to more euthanasia being done lawfully (and perhaps unlawfully).

Jeanwah

Prince Of Dorkness wrote:

catefrances wrote:

but i am in support of people taking control of their own deaths.

I am to a point.

I think letting clinically depressed people kill themselves is against the "first do no harm" bit and I think it's unethical. I think that doctor-assisted suicide should be like gender reassignment surgery... not something that you can just go in and ask for but a very long, drawn-out process since it's an irreversible procedure.

I agree with this.

Prince Of Dorkness

catefrances wrote:

we take so much effort to control birth,

And we shouldn't do that, either.

Thirty Bills Unpaid

Prince Of Dorkness wrote:

catefrances wrote:

we take so much effort to control birth,

And we shouldn't do that, either.

I am missing something here. Birth control is a bad thing?

Prince Of Dorkness

Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:

I am missing something here. Birth control is a bad thing?

I was thinking more about all the laws about women's reproductive rights.

catefrances

Prince Of Dorkness wrote:

Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:

I am missing something here. Birth control is a bad thing?

I was thinking more about all the laws about women's reproductive rights.

i was thinking contraception and abortion.

fear4freedom

Uh i say we have a voluteer worldwide suicide to help heal the planet and save others in the process. Its a sacrifice for others well being. Its all out of love. The world could shed about a billion or two...and life would greatly improve for the ones left here!

We would see the biggest martyrdom act in history!

Just saying.

81

saw that....

interesting read.

seems an old way to term the procedure.

catefrances

fear4freedom wrote:

Uh i say we have a voluteer worldwide suicide to help heal the planet and save others in the process. Its a sacrifice for others well being. Its all out of love. The world could shed about a billion or two...and life would greatly improve for the ones left here!

We would see the biggest martyrdom act in history!

Just saying.

will you be leading by example???