What people fear is not the end of their life, but the fragility of their mortality. The topic of euthanasia has been a long term controversy that evokes intense emotions and arguments when mentioned in a conversation. Euthanasia, at its fundamental core, is the consensual act of ending a patient’s life in a painless manner at their own request. Depending on the condition of a person’s illness, this method is a option to provide relief for those suffering due to incurable and unstoppable pain. In many countries, the prohibition of euthanasia can cause terminally ill patients to consider suicide as way to end their agonizing affliction. Taking into consideration the varying medical conditions of patients, the freedom of choice, and the case …show more content…
In a 2014 poll, the results concluded that 84 percent of citizens supported the idea of allowing terminally ill patients to end their lives with the assistance of a doctor (“Get the Facts on Assisted Dying”). This proves that more than 8 out of 10 Canadians believe in the right to choose euthanasia. If a person is given the right to live, they should also be given the right to die with dignity as long as the patient acknowledges that their condition will only worsen with time. Denying others the option of euthanasia is stripping away the power of choice from those who understand their situation and have still chosen to die via physician-assisted …show more content…
In fact, it may encourage patients to attempt alternative methods, such as suicide by overdosing or self-mutilation. Jean Brault’s death was one exemplary case due to the strict regulations regarding euthanasia. At the age of 19, he had been left handicapped when a blood clot developed in his brain. Throughout those next few years of his life, he managed to regain a small amount of movement. However, he lost the ability to walk at the age of 50, and was also slowly becoming unable to communicate with others. Brault compared this loss of independence to slow torture (McKenna). His final wish was to die with dignity instead of becoming a hollow shell of the person he used to be. During this time, he attempted suicide twice but had no success until Quebec’s end-of-life care law gave him hope for a sense of peace. Unfortunately, his application had been rejected due to the fact that he was not technically dying. Jean Brault, now 61 years old, began to starve himself in a last resort to qualify for euthanasia. Out of desperation, he refused to consume any food for 53 days and did not drink anything for 8 days. Observing his condition, doctors finally agreed to go through with the process because that his body had deteriorated beyond the point of repair. When asked how he felt about being approved of for euthanasia, Brault stated, “I felt liberated. It’s as simple as that” (Brault).