Voluntary Euthanasia, A Personal Report

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I HAD TO WATCH MY AUNTY DIE A PAINFUL AND UNDIGNIFIED DEATH

VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA, A PERSONAL REPORT

What would you do if someone                      She lost her hair and had pretty much

close to you developed a terminal                  all the nasty side affects.  

illness and wanted help to die                        The outcome of this treatment was

because they were in such unbearable          mere; the vast growth of this thing

pain?  Would you allow the law to                  was unbelievable.  Sharron refused

stand in the way and let their                          to have further treatment as the

suffering continue despite death being           tragic news was given to us that she

inevitable? Would you take a step                  was inevitably going to die.

back and allow the law to continue                 It hit us all very hard.

dragging out their poor quality of life               Week after week Sharron’s condition

to a humiliating and undignified death?          worsened and the experience

I know how it feels to stand by and                 of having to watch this was shear

watch this happening.                                     hell.  I’ll never forget the day that she

I think it is about time people had                   said she wanted a doctor to help        

a choice and the law                                              her to die.  Her request was denied

was changed, don’t you?          as in this country voluntary

Voluntary euthanasia is  euthanasia is illegal.  Sharron was

where the request of a                                                              kept in pain.  I visited her in                                                    

person who wishes to die                                                                                                                                         hospital, everyday I saw her

is carried out, so the death                                     suffer a little bit more,                                                                                    

is at that person’s request.                             weaken a little bit more and

For example if someone is terminally            everyday a little bit more of her

ill they may wish their life to be ended           disappeared, until the day when she

but may not be in a state to do so                  just wasn’t there anymore.  

and so turn to someone else.                                 They may have kept her body alive

Apart from in The Netherlands,                      but Sharron had gone.  Her mind

voluntary euthanasia is against the law,        and personality were no longer  

and classed as a criminal act.                          there.  She didn’t know who she                      

                                                                         was, where she was or who her

My aunty Sharron developed                           family were.  It wasn’t just her

breast cancer at the age of 31 suffering but us (her family) too.

8 months after having a baby  Imagine that….imagine your

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boy. She had a mastectomy and own mum or a loved one not even                      just as we thought she was getting                 knowing who you are.  It was tearing

better she developed a brain tumour.             my family and I apart.  Everyday of her

She had the terrible experience of                  suffering was unbearable; I just wanted  

Chemotherapy to try and shrink the               ...

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