Belgium performs its first euthanasia procedure on a minor Vol. Let's talk euthanasia

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37395286

Along with the Netherlands, we are the only countries allowing child euthanasia. The Netherlands' euthanasia law has a minimum age requirement of 12 but can be circumvented through a special protocol (Groning-protocol) in very severe cases under the age of 12.

We extended our euthanasia law in 2014 to remove age restrictions so the procedure can be performed at any age.

This week marks the first case of euthanasia on a minor since the changes to the law.

The age of the patient was reported to be ~17 by our local news. There's no specifics about the disease due to privacy reasons.

In highschool it was frequently a subject of debate in my behavioral sciences class, in nursing school as well.

Most people I've had this discussion with support euthanasia but Belgium was the first to legalize it in 2002 so we've kinda grown up with it being available as a right to die on your own terms. I think the strong decline of religion in our country has also played a major role in our views and legislation on euthanasia.

Personally I am strongly in favor of euthanasia being legal for all ages. One of my friends' dad was amongst the first few cases of euthanasia when it became legal. Given the intense suffering certain chronic and progressive diseases can cause, I see it as relieving someone of their suffering. My friend's dad was restricted to a hospital bed and in severe pain all day. The disease would have continued to progress for several more years so the family together opted for euthanasia. With school and work, my friend and his mom weren't able to visit him all the time and he was also in a hospital halfway across the country for specialized care. Together, the family decided to end the suffering. They would miss him very much of course but they found it harder to know he was suffering 24/7 and his only moments of joy were when they'd visit him.

Stories like this have definitely reinforced my views on euthanasia. Putting myself in that position, I'd want to be relieved of my misery too if I'd ever end up in such a situation where I can't do anything but suffer.

I don't think this subject has been talked about much here on NT, not that I'm aware of at least. I know that euthanasia, much like abortion, is a very controversial subject throughout the world. Even here in Belgium it can count on some fierce opposition.

I know euthanasia is illegal in all US states, though a select few states (Oregon, Washington, Vermont, California) allow physician aid in dying (PAD), which roughly amounts to the same thing. The difference is you administer the lethal drug yourself instead of the physician.

So what are your views on euthanasia? Should it be legalized? What about child euthanasia?

You gotta be a hellova doctor to put a child to sleep.

I dont mean that negatively but like comitted to your beliefs.


I dunno man i would have to know all the details before i made a case about this particular situation.

In regards to euthanasia. ...im not too keen on the reasons individuals choose this route but it does not make sense to me. I realize strength and perseverance varies from individual to individual but i dont see any situation where death is the better alternative.

Again i dont know what people have gone thru the procedure were going through. If its physical then maybe i can find a way to understand, emotional , then no, i dont understand that.

Super touchy subject, I dont know where my stance is. You dont know and will never know what these people go through. A minor though...mentally for everyone involved from family to even doctors it must be draining.

So, in a situation where a child is in a coma or on life support and the parties involved deem it fine to "cut the cord" is that not the same thing as this? I don't know how common this situation is and what usually happens, hence why I ask. Feels like the same dilemma just a different procedure.

It is tricky due to the motives of the parents to euthanize their child. But if it's an illness that only gets painfully worse and ultimately will cause your death. I see a reason for it.

LIONBLOOD said:

 
I am for euthanasia but the age caught off is tricky. Cause I'm pretty sure 12 years old is old enough to know you don't want to suffer anymore, but there's the risk of parents influencing a child's decision. 

Does anyone know the general list of progressive or terminal illnesses considered fair game?

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Over here there's no real list of diseases, each case is handled individually and is quite a lengthy process.

These are the major guidelines our law states for general euthanasia:

-The patient must be fully mentally capable of understanding what he/she is asking for

-The patient must repeatedly ask for euthanasia on on his own and have multiple in depth discussions with the physician, spread over several months

-The patient must be fully informed of all relevant information regarding his disease; prognosis, treatments, ...

-The patient's condition must be physically or mentally unbearable with no possibility of a cure or improving his condition, as the result of an incurable disease.

-And independant physician must review all relevant information and agree with the euthanasia request

-If the patient is being cared for in a hospital or receives aid at home, the physician must discuss the euthanasia request with all medical personnel treating the patient

-The physician has no obligation to discuss the euthanasia with the patient's family unless the patient gives permission to do so

-Any physician can refuse to do the procedure, but he must let the patient know immediately and refer him to a doctor who will do it

-The patient's disease doesn't necessarily need to be a terminal disease. Non-terminal diseases that produce immense suffering are also eligible for euthanasia, but with slightly different guidelines. In this case, the patient must undergo a thorough psychiatrical evaluation

The laws for child euthanasia are a lot more complicated and involve the family a lot more of course.

If the child got a chronic disease like some real serious **** n don't wanna suffer for the rest of their life I don't see why not

sckid20 said:

You gotta be a hellova doctor to put a child to sleep.

I dont mean that negatively but like comitted to your beliefs.


I dunno man i would have to know all the details before i made a case about this particular situation.

In regards to euthanasia. ...im not too keen on the reasons individuals choose this route but it does not make sense to me. I realize strength and perseverance varies from individual to individual but i dont see any situation where death is the better alternative.

Again i dont know what people have gone thru the procedure were going through. If its physical then maybe i can find a way to understand, emotional , then no, i dont understand that.

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I don't think a person choosing euthanasia is necessarily less strong or perseverant than someone else. My friend's situation with his dad for example, he'd been essentially living in a hospital bed requiring constant care and suffering from immense pain day in day out. It was very tough on the family as well to see him suffering like that. They're glad he went through with the procedure. They know he's in a better place now and doesn't have to endure any more suffering. Another friend of mine's father is also thinking of euthanasia. He has MS and only has a few years left at most.

When you're in the late stages of MS I don't see the point in living out the rest of your days. It's one of the most terrible chronic diseases you can have and especially the late stages are just pure suffering with nothing you can do about it.

frshstunna said:

If the child got a chronic disease like some real serious **** n don't wanna suffer for the rest of their life I don't see why not

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Don't even see how you could argue this.

I think this shows that Belgium is really progressive and all countries should follow suit.


People shouldn't have to suffer if they are hit with something incurable or have their quality of life completely eradicated.

Also anybody who thinks they know what people in those situations should do with their life is ignorant.

I used to be against this until real life made me understand it better. My mom's cancer came back a second time and she had to stay at a hospital and then eventually a nursing home. She never returned home. Her cancer started spreading everywhere, she got really physically weak to the point she couldn't walk anymore and her legs became stick thin. Sometimes she would delusional and not aware of what was going on. 3 days before she passed away she told me she wanted to die already. At the time I couldn't understand why and wanted her to keep fighting. When I looked back at how long she suffered and how painful it was, then I understood. People can only battle on for so long before they just want the pain to go away. She deserved to be at peace. She was a registered nurse so she knew that. I saw on her health insurance months before that she had DNR on it.

yes. yes, yes, yes. a thousand times yes.

death is as much a part of life as any other aspect, and if humans truly believe in the sanctity of individual liberty, euthanasia is absolutely included.

if someone of any age has a incurably terminal disease, has lost critical function in their body, of has been injured to where their quality of life would be severely limited, euthanasia must be an option. it's just humane.

hell, if an adult is just tired of living for whatever reason they should be able to stop.

who are any of us to decide that a person has to live with a level of pain that makes their everyday lives miserable? it's incredibly intrusive to force your beliefs on others to this level...if you don't like euthanasia, don't get euthanized.

hell, if an adult is just tired of living for whatever reason they should be able to stop.

 

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If they have a family?

sckid20 said:

If they have a family?

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life is messy, bruddah. 

it's far from an ideal situation obviously, but the fact is someone going through enough physical or emotional pain to seriously consider this in spite of whatever familial duties they may have assumed is unlikely to be an effective head of a household anyway. 

better than coming home and finding a secretly unhappy family member splattered on the wall.

Alonzo gif

I'm supposed to trust the government that backs up lying cops who are on video obviously killing because they feel like it, to carry out these services and not abuse them? Nah.

If you wanna kill yourself, go for it. I just don't trust the government with that kind of power.

Brolic Scholar said:

I'm supposed to trust the government that backs up lying cops who are on video obviously killing because they feel like it, to carry out these services and not abuse them? Nah.

If you wanna kill yourself, go for it. I just don't trust the government with that kind of power.

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The government has nothing to do with euthanasia besides signing the laws.

The procedure is handled entirely by medical personnel.

i think it should be legal...but i think 12 is way too young. 

think about how mature 12 year olds are.

not very

I dunno b, I would have called it at 12 with these migraines.

japejapejape said:

 
i think it should be legal...but i think 12 is way too young. 

think about how mature 12 year olds are.

not very

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I'm not entirely sure how the procedure works in those cases of 12 years old and younnger as it's very rare. Child euthanasia has only been performed around 10 times in the Netherlands since the law was passed.

I'm guessing those cases are handled mostly by the parents and the child would need to be in an almost vegetative state with no chance of recovery.

I know someone whose baby was born with a very severe birth defect. Something gone wrong in the development stage and she never left the hospital since birth. She had a respirator tube down her throat because she couldn't breathe properly otherwise. She eventually died after a few months due to respiratory failure. I think it's cases like that where euthanasia is performed on children under the age of 12 through the Netherlands' Groningen protocol. 

Colombia said:

 
I'm guessing those cases are handled mostly by the parents and the child would need to be in an almost vegetative state with no chance of recovery.

I know someone whose baby was born with a very severe birth defect. Something gone wrong in the development stage and she never left the hospital since birth. She had a respirator tube down her throat because she couldn't breathe properly otherwise. She eventually died after a few months due to respiratory failure. I think it's cases like that where euthanasia is performed on children under the age of 12 through the Netherlands' Groningen protocol. 

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ahhh gotcha. 

man that has to be the saddest thing in the world to put your child to rest. sheesh