First child dies by euthanasia in Belgium

[brooklynite]

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]

1. 17 years old

A 17-year-old has committed doctor-assisted suicide in Belgium, the first minor to do so under rules adopted in 2014 allowing euthanasia for people of all ages, the head of the national committee for euthanasia said on Saturday.

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. Hmmm...while 17 is technically a child, my guess is that "the child"

would not have identified as such.

A bit of sensationalism, methinks. A better title would have been "First minor dies by euthanasia..."

[PersonNumber503602]

3. or just say 17 year old dies by euthanasia.

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]

4. Perhaps whether or not to allow this for children has been a political issue there.

In which case, the headline would be appropriate.

[Odin2005]

16. Yeah, I was horrified by the headline, thinking it was a little kid.

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]

5. RIP.

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]

6. Yes, my thoughts also. nt

[Delphinus]

7. Stated quite well.

Thank you.

[True Dough]

10. I share your sentiments

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/

Since the law passed, the number of Belgians choosing euthanasia has steadily risen each year, with more than 1,800 dying this way in 2013 – that’s an average of about 5 people a day.

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]

8. ...

[keithbvadu2]

9. The Dubya/Perry laws were used to kill a baby (Sun Hudson) in Texas

because he was an expensive inconvenience to the state.

He was too young to request euthanasia but they did not need his request.

[LeftyMom]

12. The hospital and courts made that decision because his mother was nuttier than squirrel shit.

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]

14. Nice excuse for killing living babies

Was killing the baby the preferred choice of action?

[LeftyMom]

18. Genetics killed him.

Artificial respiration briefly delayed the inevitable.

[keithbvadu2]

19. Another nice excuse for killing living babies.

The state killed him before genetics would have.

[McCamy Taylor]

11. Title is misleading. "Minor" would be more accurate. "Child" implies prepuberty.

[marble falls]

13. Can't decide how good or how bad this is. My heart goes out to a minor and her parents faced...

these kind of decisions.

[Odin2005]

15. 17yo TEENAGER, putting "child" in a headline like this is inflamatory.

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]

17. +1000

[Boudica the Lyoness]

20. Trayvon Martin was also 17 and he was called a child.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

21. Did Trayvon martin have a choice in his death?

And most people would be fine if media called him a teenager.