by A young Dutch woman with myelogenous encephalitis (ME) has shared an emotional post announcing that she will be euthanized on Saturday 27 January.
Lauren Hoeve, 28, began documenting her euthanasia request in 2022 on her blog. Diagnosed with ME in 2019, she also has autism, anxiety and ADHD. ME is often referred to as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but Hoeve prefers not to use that term because she believes it doesn’t capture the intensity of exhaustion.
Assisted death has been legal in the Netherlands since 2002. According to the Dignity in Dying campaign group, there are on average around 3,500 cases of assisted death or voluntary euthanasia a year in the country.
In Hoeve’s blog, she recalls that when she first told her family doctor that she wanted voluntary euthanasia, he told her that he respected her wishes but that he could not do it himself as her situation was complicated by her psychological conditions.
She was put on the waiting list to be seen by euthanasia specialists, but the wait was longer than usual due to the pandemic. Since then, Hoeve has seen several doctors who assessed her and in April 2023 found her to be ‘mentally competent’ signing off on her wish to be euthanised.
Hoeve has been posting on X (formerly known as Twitter) about his health, and has gained a following that has seen people send messages of encouragement, support and cat content as well, as Hoeve himself is a ‘stay at home cat parent’- described.
On Wednesday, Hoeve posted on her blog, thanking people for their support and announcing that her euthanasia will take place sometime on Saturday between 1:30pm and 2:30pm. She wrote: “If we’ve known each other for a long time or well, we don’t care. Through all of you, I’ve felt less alone, and I’m very grateful for that.”
She said: “Please don’t wish me a good trip, I wish I was going on a trip (a beach holiday would be nice)…”
She invited her family to watch a farewell live stream and asked those who wish to pay their respects online to wait until she has passed away.
Hoeve’s mother, who also lost her son, has written a blog post about the planned euthanasia, saying: “What is it like for me, as a mother, to lose my second child now? It is very sad and surreal. My heart mother? bleeds… Know that we did everything realistically possible to find a way out. She still wanted to get so much out of life, but she doesn’t want to live to be 30 years old because this, let alone 60 years old or 80 years old.”
She said: “The only bright spot is that I no longer have to fear losing my children. I know where they are.”
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Euthanasia in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, anyone can apply for euthanasia, but there are several rounds of assessment that must be done, especially if there are mitigating circumstances beyond a person’s physical health.
8,720 cases of euthanasia were reported in the Netherlands in 2022, the highest number so far. The majority of cases were people with cancer, and there was an increase in the cases mentioning dementia.
Five people under the age of 30 were also euthanised, which led to criticism from some doctors. Dutch professor Irene Tuffrey-Wijne told AP: “I have no doubt that these people were suffering, but is society okay with sending this message, that there is no other way to help them and that it is better to be dead?”
Last year, the Dutch government lowered the age for assisted dying for children as young as one year old. However, for a child to be eligible, they have to meet strict criteria, mainly that they must be terminally ill to the point that palliative care would not provide any relief.
This followed the highly publicized case of four-year-old Luuk, who died two years after being diagnosed with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease, a degenerative condition that affects the central nervous system.
Assisted dying in the UK
It is illegal in England, Wales and Northern Ireland with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. There is no specific crime in Scotland. In 2015, a bill was passed to legalize assisted dying in the UK.
However, it continues to be a source of debate. Most recently, this has been spearheaded by presenter Dame Esther Rantzen, who revealed last month that she is considering the option of assisted dying if her lung cancer condition does not improve.
The 83-year-old Childline founder and broadcaster has joined Dignitas, an assisted dying clinic in Switzerland. Her family could be prosecuted if they traveled with her.
In an interview with the BBC’s Today Podcast in December, she called for a free vote in Parliament on assisted dying because she feels it is “important that the law complies with what the country wants “.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer has backed calls to change the law, saying last month “I personally think there are grounds to change it”. The Health and Social Care Committee is to publish a report on assisted dying and assisted suicide in England and Wales, after launching an inquiry in December 2022 to examine different perspectives on the debate.
If you are affected by the issues raised in this article, you can get in touch The Samaritans to receive confidential emotional support at any time by calling 116 123 or emailing jo@samaritans.org.
