Twenty-three-year-old rugby player Dan James (pictured) was paralyzed after a difficult scrum in March 2007. Obviously, he was devastated by this turn of events and ultimately couldn't come to terms with it. His parents traveled with him to an assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland last month and are now being investigated by British police. They may end up charged with murder.
I guess the question about assisted suicide for people with non-terminal illnesses is always how much their mental status affects their decision to end their lives. Could depression have been a factor here? And if so, should medications have been tried first? Perhaps he had already gone down that road. Some people can be Christopher Reeve and some people can't. Here's an email his mother sent to a British newspaper:
Three weeks ago our son was at last allowed his wish of a dignfied death in the Dignitas apartment in Zurich. ... He couldn't walk, had no hand function, but constant pain in all of his fingers. He was incontinent, suffered uncontrollable spasms in his legs and upper body and needed 24-hour care. Dan had tried to commit suicide three times but this was unsuccessful due to his disability. His only other option was to starve himself. Dan had been a lively and hugely active young man he was highly intelligent, lovable and so loved by his family. Whilst not everyone in Dan’s situation would find it as unbearable as Dan, what right does any human being have to tell any other that they have to live such a life, filled with terror, discomfort and indignity, what right does one person who chooses to live with a particular illness or disability have to tell another that that they should have to.
In response to someone calling the police, Dan's mother wrote:
Our son could not have been more loved and had he felt he could live his life this way he would have been loved just the same, but this was his right as a human being. Nobody but nobody should judge him or anyone else.
What do you think?
Twenty-three-year-old rugby player Dan James (pictured) was paralyzed after a difficult scrum in March 2007. Obviously, he was devastated by this turn of events and ultimately couldn't come to terms with it. His parents traveled with him to an assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland last month and are now being investigated by British police. They may end up charged with murder.
I guess the question about assisted suicide for people with non-terminal illnesses is always how much their mental status affects their decision to end their lives. Could depression have been a factor here? And if so, should medications have been tried first? Perhaps he had already gone down that road. Some people can be Christopher Reeve and some people can't. Here's an email his mother sent to a British newspaper:
In response to someone calling the police, Dan's mother wrote:
What do you think?