Deaf twins going blind are euthanized

[SillyChicken]

We can only do what is best for our selves when facing the situation they faced. This kind of decision is not up for us to judge.
Not everyone shares the same beliefs, and to force those ideals on someone else is wrong.
It was their choice to determine the quality of their lives not ours.

 

[Mother2Hens]

Thanks for the welcome! No, I had no idea that there was a section like this one; I happened to link to it while looking at other posts. I am glad to see that people's opinions are respected. A side note: I just heard on the news that a big reason for the twins' decision was that they were so close, and couldn't imagine not being able to see or hear each other. I can't imagine not being able to see-- or hear. I am thankful for my luck.

 

[Capvin]

I to feel that terminally ill people that are only suffering should have a way out. But I do have a problem with someone that's going to go blind having themselves killed. Was it that they felt they would become a burden to their family ?

Your statement can only lead me to believe that you either did not read the entire article because great effort was made to explain their reasoning and it had nothing to do with being a burden to their family. Or, you did read and failed to comprehend

 

[hemet dennis]

Quote:
Ok here's the whole thing.

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.

The only thing it says about why is this "after realizing they were going blind and would be unable to see each other ever again". I sure wouldn't call that "great effort was made to explain their reasoning".

Now if it was after they had gone blind and they decided they didn't want to live that way I think that would be different. So if a doctor told you that you were going deaf and blind you would want to be killed ? And I guess if a baby is born blind and deaf it should be killed ? What if it's born blind and hard of hearing ?

 

[Capvin]

What you quoted was a very short synopsis of the much larger article that appeared in several national media outlets both on line and in print form. There is quite a bit more to the story then the little you quoted. Your attempt to compare their situation to a child born deaf and blind is nothing short of far fetched.

 

[cupman]

I was a bit disturbed by this story but from what I read they had already gone blind after already being deaf. I was under the impression euthanasia came after they lost their sense of sight. I could be wrong but I don't think so.

 

[appps]

Wow, just wow

Thank goodness Helen Keller didn't live in Belgium.

I wonder what the statistics would be on patients suffering debilitating disabilities ie blindness, paralised, amputation at time it occurred who wished they were dead. Compared to same patients 5 years later when they have had time to deal with the loss emotionally of that function. I'd be really interested to see if the amount wanting to die was still the same.

 

[hemet dennis]

What you quoted was a very short synopsis of the much larger article that appeared in several national media outlets both on line and in print form. There is quite a bit more to the story then the little you quoted. Your attempt to compare their situation to a child born deaf and blind is nothing short of far fetched.

Well that was the only story I saw on this. So would you be so kind as to put a link to the longer story you speak of ?

 

[Capvin]

I do not remember where I originally saw the article, but there is a story about it from the Huffington Post that has some additional detail, i.e. interview with Doctor and their older brother. In addition the original and detailed story also revealed that they had suffered from quite a bit more then deafness and going blind.

 

[duckluck]

For myself, I am glad to see Belgium is offering people this option. I hope the day will come when it is the same here. There's enough suffering in the world already and I personally feel it's terrible we can alleviate suffering in animals and not people. And yes, before anyone asks, I did read the article.