Euthanasia: Right to die? (Reading week 12)

Euthanasia is the termination of a very sick person's life in order to relieve them of their suffering, but does an individual who has no hope of recovery have the right to decide how and when to end their life? For Craig Ewert is his chose to give an end to his illness. He went to Switzerland, Belgium to practice an Assited suicide which is one form of euthanasia. This usually refers to cases where the person who is going to die needs help to kill themselves and asks for it. It may be something as simple as getting drugs for the person and putting those drugs within their reach. He was motivated by his degenerative disorder ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which is a is a form of  motor caused by the degeneration of neuronst. The disorder is characterized by rapidly progressive weakness, muscle atrophy and respiratory compromise. Why a person like Mr. Craig Ewert want euthanasia? Most people think unbearable pain is the main reason people seek euthanasia, but some surveys in the USA and the Netherlands showed that less than a third of requests for euthanasia were because of severe pain. Terminally ill people can have their quality of life severely damaged by physical conditions such as incontinence, nausea and vomiting, breathlessness, paralysis and difficulty in swallowing. Psychological factors that cause people to think of euthanasia include depression, fearing loss of control or dignity, feeling a burden, or dislike of being dependent. He thought this was the best way to end his life, do you agree with him?

More about euthanasia
John Paul II speech about euthanasia	http://www.fluvium.org/textos/lectura/lectura534.htm
Catechism of the Catholic Church	http://www.es.catholic.net/escritoresactuales/524/1319/articulo.php?id=12871