Euthanasia- if you can’t smile is life really worthwhile?

Dignity in Dying thinks it isn’t.

Hello, I would like to thank you for taking this time to read my blog. Now if your quality of life was ever deteriorating and the unbearable pain made you hate life, would you want to be forced to live? My name’s Charlotte and I strongly believe that everyone should have the choice of how they end their life. This is what Dignity in Dying campaigns for. They support Euthanasia, which is an injection that permanently puts you to sleep in the most peaceful way possible. Please read on to find out more.

Euthanasia is legal in some countries such as Switzerland; it is Dignity in Dying’s aim to make it legal in the UK.  The problem with this is that seriously ill patients are forced to travel there if they want the peaceful death that euthanasia offers. The consequences of this are they are forced to leave the ones they love the most behind and sometimes people go before they are ready as they are scared of getting stuck in England, too ill to travel and having to resort to more drastic methods of death, such as suicide. Debbie Purdy is a woman who faces this dilemma. This is her story:

She loves her life at the moment

She is scared for the future       

 

My name is Debbie Purdy and I live in Bradford with my husband Omar. I was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis in 1995 at the age of 31. I love my life, but I have always been a fiercely independent woman, and I want to have choice about how and when I die. Should living become unbearable to me, I want to be able to ask for, and receive help to die with dignity. British law does not allow this. It says that anyone assisting me to die is punishable for up to 14 years in prison. So my options are to attempt suicide myself, and risk making matters worse, or to travel to Switzerland to have an assisted death.
My husband desperately wants to help me. But I do not want Omar or any other person dear to me to be made a criminal for what I see as an act of love and humanity. I will go overseas to die, alone and unaided, while I still can, as this is the only way I can be in control of my death and protect my husband. But it should not have to be this way.

The law in the UK is forcing me to consider dying before I am ready. It should be changed so that me, and others like me, can know that if our suffering does become unbearable we have a choice.
This is why I support dignity in dying as I don’t want people to suffer like I have.

Currently Dignity in dying also offer end of life care, support for families with terminally ill patients, research into life saving drugs and fight legal battles for those wanting to end their life.

One thing I would like people to remember is Dignity in Dying are NOT murdering people; they are simply helping those who are suffering but still have an able mind  to carry out their choice on how they want to die. They are still desperately trying to change the law and keep the support for patients and families going, but they are struggling to do it alone. I really hope you would now feel that you would be willing to support this charity and possibly donate some money as at the end of the day wouldn’t you want the choice?      
Ask yourself: if you can’t smile is life really worthwhile?

Thank you very much for reading my blog it would be great if you could spend a few minutes responding to the following questions:

1. Had you heard of Dignity in Dying before or feel more informed after reading my blog?
2. Do you now agree in principle with the subject of making euthanasia legal in the UK?
3. Would you now be willing to support Dignity in Dying by either spreading the word to family or friends or possibly donating some money?
4. Have I changed your opinion on Euthanasia especially if you had the opposite view to me?

Please put the name of your home town/country that you come from at the end.
Thank you once again for reading my blog!