A PHYSICALLY healthy woman has decided to get euthanised after suffering from crippling depression.
Zoraya ter Beek, 28, from Twente, Netherlands, is scheduled to die in May after being told her condition will “never get better”.
RTL NieuwsZoraya ter Beek, 28, plans to die by assisted suicide in May after struggling with depression[/caption]
TwitterZoraya will leave her boyfriend and two cats behind[/caption]
Zoraya took to wearing a ‘do-not-resuscitate’ badge
Zoraya once aspired to become a psychiatrist but couldn’t finish her studies because she was struggling with depression and autism.
For ten long years, she tried all possible solutions from therapy to medications to improve her condition.
Euthanasia has been legal in The Netherlands since 2002 – but remains illegal in the UK.
The highly controversial practice remains a hotly debated topic, with campaigners claiming it frees people from pain while critics warn the practice could be abused or put pressure on people to die.
Under Dutch law, a patient qualifies for an assisted death after they exhausted all reasonable treatments and can prove “unbearable suffering without prospect of improvement”.
Zoraya lost hope for recovery after her psychiatrist told her “there’s nothing more” they could do to treat her pain.
“It’s never gonna get any better,” she claims her doctor told her.
At that moment, Zoraya decided to cut her life short – even if it meant leaving her beloved 40-year-old boyfriend and two cats behind.
She will be administered a sedative and a drug to stop her heart – and has chosen to die at home on her sofa.
Zoraya’s intense struggles saw her start to wear a do-not-resuscitate badge around her neck – something which is typically worn by elderly people.
She said: “I don’t see it as my soul leaving, but more as myself being freed from life.
“I’m a little afraid of dying, because it’s the ultimate unknown.
“We don’t really know what’s next – or is there nothing? That’s the scary part.”
Zoraya told the Free Press: “I was always very clear that if it doesn’t get better, I can’t do this anymore.”
But she had to wait 2.5 years for her request to be approved, and then another six to 12 months to ensure she met all the legal conditions for euthanasia.
During the long waiting time, she said she never doubted her decision, saying if it was rejected, she would “probably do it herself”.
Once she had gone through the steps, Zoraya chose the date of her death which falls in May.
She doesn’t want any fuss and plans to be euthanized in her home.
Zoraya’s last breath will be taken on a couch in her living room with no music and just her boyfriend by her side.
She explained: “The doctor really takes her time. It is not that they walk in and say: lay down please.
“Most of the time it is first a cup of coffee to settle the nerves and create a soft atmosphere.
“Then she asks if I am ready. I will take my place on the couch. She will once again ask if I am sure, and she will start up the procedure and wish me a good journey.
“Or, in my case, a nice nap, because I hate it if people say, ‘Safe journey.’ I’m not going anywhere.”
Zoraya – who doesn’t have much family- said there won’t be any funeral.
Instead, she wishes to be cremated after her death and already picked “a nice spot in the woods” where her ashes will be scattered.
As Zoraya approaches her last day, she told rtl nieuws: “I don’t want to die, but I can’t live.
“Then it’s a choice between growing old sick and with a lot of misery, or honoring myself and saying: I’m quitting.”
What is euthanasia and why is it controversial?
EUTHANASIA, sometimes known as mercy killing, is the practice of intentionally ending someone’s life to relieve their pain and suffering.
The term comes from an ancient Greek phrase meaning “good death”.
Euthanasia is deliberately helping or encouraging someone to take their own life, for example by providing them with medicine to do so.
Euthanasia is a crime under English law, carrying a maximum penalty of life in jail, and assisted suicide 14 years.
The only exception is “passive euthanasia”, which is where treatment that might extend someone’s life is withdrawn – such as a life machine being turned off.
For terminally ill patients in the UK, the only alternatives are hospice care or refusing treatment, which mentally capable patients have the right to do.
As a result, some terminally ill people decide to travel abroad to die.
Euthanasia and dying is a controversial issue – with passionate campaigners on each side of the argument.
People who agree with euthanasia often argue that people should be allowed to die with dignity – and they should be able to decide when and how they die, and potentially save their loved ones the pain of seeing them suffer.
Some also believe death is private, and it’s not the state’s place to interfere if a person wants to die.
Those in favour of euthanasia also point out that we euthanise our pets as an act of kindness – and resources could be put towards people who want to live, or whose conditions are curable.
However, there are concerns that allowing euthanasia would give doctors too much power, and might even worsen care for the terminally ill and research into their illnesses.
Some also believe it goes against the job description of doctors and nurses and the oath they take to not harm patients – they also say it undermines the value of human life.
Others also worry about the possibility of someone potentially recovering, or changing their mind when it’s already too late.
Some have even suggested it could lead to people feeling pressured into asking to die, as they don’t want to be a burden upon those around them.
Euthanasia is usually a last resort for terminally ill patients but has recently become a “default option” for people with mental health issues.
More people are turning to euthanasia for a legal way to end their suffering as they struggle with depression or anxiety – exacerbated by economic uncertainty, the climate and social media.
In 2017, out of 6,585 deaths from euthanasia in the Netherlands, 84 were on the grounds of psychiatric suffering.
But the approval procedure for psychiatric petitions can take years and only approximately 10 per cent of applications are granted.
The critics blasted the practice for encouraging people like Zoraya to kill themselves rather than live in pain, which they claim can be treated with ongoing care.
Stef Groenewoud, a healthcare ethicist at Theological University Kampen, told the Free Press: “I see the phenomenon especially in people with psychiatric diseases, and especially young people with psychiatric disorders, where the healthcare professional seems to give up on them more easily than before.”
The critics blamed the “suicide contagion” on a social media glamorisation of suicide and radical right-to-die activists who advocate for freedom to kill ourselves when our lives are “complete”.
But some doctors believe euthanasia is an acceptable alternative as they view suicidal patients as people with terminal illness.
Kit Vanmechelen told BBC: “I’ve treated patients that I knew were going to commit suicide. So to have euthanasia as an alternative makes me very grateful we have a law.
“The ones I know will commit suicide are terminal in my opinion. And I don’t want to abandon my patients who are not able to go on with their lives.”
After her story was published in the Free Press, Zoraya took to Twitter to criticise the journalist and announced that she would be stepping away from social media ahead of her passing.
“It was an honor for me to provide insights to people who were open to learning something,” she posted.
You’re Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
Heads Together,www.headstogether.org.uk
HUMEN www.wearehumen.org
Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
Samaritans,www.samaritans.org, 116 123
