First child dies by euthanasia in Belgium
Source: CNN
(CNN)A terminally ill minor has become the first child to be euthanized in Belgium since age restrictions were lifted in the country two years ago, according to several sources.
A Belgian lawmaker told CNN affiliate VTM that the physician-assisted suicide happened within the past week.
The child, who was suffering from an incurable disease, had asked for euthanasia, Sen. Jean-Jacques De Gucht told VTM. The identity of the child and age are unknown.
"I think it's very important that we, as a society, have given the opportunity to those people to decide for themselves in what manner they cope with that situation," said Gucht, a supporter of euthanasia legislation.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/17/health/belgium-minor-euthanasia/index.html
muriel_volestrangler
(101,311 posts)Wim Distelmans, who chairs Belgium's Federal Control and Evaluation Committee on Euthanasia, told Reuters that the minor was 17 and that a local doctor had reported the case to his committee last week, but he gave no other details.
...
Distelmans said in an emailed statement that the Belgian law defines euthanasia very strictly. Minors must be conscious and able to make rational decisions when they request assisted death. Psychologists or psychiatrists must be consulted and the parents must give their permission.
To undergo euthanasia, the minor must also be in a "terminal medical situation with constant and unbearable physical pain which cannot be assuaged and that will cause death in the short term", the law says.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-belgium-euthanasia-minor-idUSKCN11N09P?il=0
jonno99
(2,620 posts)would not have identified as such.
A bit of sensationalism, methinks. A better title would have been "First minor dies by euthanasia..."
PersonNumber503602
(1,134 posts)then mention it's the first person under the age to die by such means. But that might not play into any possible agenda (even if said agenda is to just get more readers)
Anyway, wasn't there a story out of Belgium a couple years ago about a 23 year old woman who wanted to kill herself because she was depressed, and the government actually granted her requested to follow through with it after after a year or so of evaluations? I think she backed out at the last moment though. That's a bit different than this though, and I'm not sure how I feel about it for non-terminal patients.
Chemisse
(30,811 posts)In which case, the headline would be appropriate.
Odin2005
(53,521 posts)My mind was going on all kinds of fearful "slippery slope to Nazi-style murdering of disabled kids" thoughts until I saw that the "child" was 17.
Sand Rat Expat
(290 posts)I'm glad Belgium has compassionate laws on the books. While I'm very sorry that this young person is gone, I'm glad that their exit from this world was painless and dignified, and that they were able to go on their own terms rather than suffer.
babylonsister
(171,061 posts)Delphinus
(11,830 posts)Thank you.
True Dough
(17,304 posts)Also, PBS did a great doc on Belgium's assisted death policy a few years ago. Found here:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/right-die-belgium-inside-worlds-liberal-euthanasia-laws-2/
The 16-person euthanasia commission half doctors, half lawyers, meets every month in Brussels. By law, after performing euthanasia, doctors must file a report with the Commission detailing what they did and why. The Commission reviews the reports to be sure conditions set by the law were met. If not, Genicot says in the worst case, a doctor could face homicide charges.
Skittles
(153,160 posts)keithbvadu2
(36,789 posts)because he was an expensive inconvenience to the state.
He was too young to request euthanasia but they did not need his request.
LeftyMom
(49,212 posts)If you think you've been knocked up by the literal sun and skipped out on prenatal care because you think the literal sun in the sky is blessing your pregnancy you don't get to be involved in medical decisions.
40 NICUs declined to take him as a transfer because his condition was fatal* and irreversible and in all likelihood he was suffering.
*that's literally what the name of his kind of dwarfism means: thanatophic= brings death
keithbvadu2
(36,789 posts)Was killing the baby the preferred choice of action?
LeftyMom
(49,212 posts)Artificial respiration briefly delayed the inevitable.
keithbvadu2
(36,789 posts)The state killed him before genetics would have.
McCamy Taylor
(19,240 posts)marble falls
(57,081 posts)these kind of decisions.
Odin2005
(53,521 posts)I was horrified by the headline until I read that the person is 17.
You will have anti-euthanasia activists see the word "child" without reading the article and we'll end up with BS on Facebook about "liberals letting parents kill their kids", I guarantee it.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Boudica the Lyoness
(2,899 posts)La Lioness Priyanka
(53,866 posts)And most people would be fine if media called him a teenager.