Category Archives: Euthanasia

A paralysed DJ ended his own life with the press of a button in Switzerland after a fruitless campaign for euthanasia in his native Italy.

Fabiano Antoniani died at a euthanasia facility in Forch after reportedly triggering the lethal substance.

The 40-year-old had campaigned for a change in the assisted suicide law in his homeland, but Italy's parliament had shelved the debate 11 times.

Former MEP and activist Marco Cappato, who travelled with Mr Antoniani to Switzerland, could face criminal charges after helping escort the musician to the facility.

Police have questioned him over the death, he said onTwitter.

Mr Antoniani was left blind and tetraplegic by car crash in 2014. The DJ dropped his phone while driving and smashed into the car in front of him as he tried to pick it up.

Also known as quadriplegia,Tetraplegia is paralysis caused by illness or injury that results in the partial or total loss of use of all four limbs and torso.

He appealed to Italy President Sergio Mattarella for the right to die, and shortly before his death, criticised the country for failing to pass laws allowing him to do so.

Finally I am in Switzerland and, unfortunately, I got here on my own and not with the help of my country, he said, in a message posted on social media shortly before his death.

Fabo died at 11.40am. He decided to pass away, respecting the rules of a country which is not his own, MrCappatowrote on Twitter, shortly after he died.

Roberto Saviano, an Italian journalist, who was a friend of DJ Fabo, also wrote: We distinctly heard you ask for a dignified death. There is no possible justification for the silence that youve achieved in response.

There is no possible justification for the lack of empathy, of attention, and humanity, from the European Parliament, and from the country, which by fate, you were born in.

In one of Mr Antonianis last Facebook posts, he wrote: F*** the boredom f*** the problems f*** the sickness.

Euthanasia is illegal in Italy, a traditionally Catholic country, but the law upholds a patients right to refuse care.

A bill to clarify assisted suicide law has been postponed in Italy three times, but according to La Stampa, will be debated by the Chamber of Deputies this week.

Hundreds have travelled to Zurich to end their lives since the Dignitas organisation was set up in 1998.

The number of assisted suicides in Switzerland, according to statistics from Dignitas and Exit, stood at 416 in 2011 but 1,004 in 2015.

In the UK, awoman suffering from Crohn's disease last month said she will pay 10,000 to end her life in Switzerland because of social care cuts.

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Paralysed Italian DJ takes own life in Swiss clinic after fruitless euthanasia campaign in his native country - The Independent

Jagged Vision Streaming "Euthanasia" Metal Underground Norwegian sludge noisemakers Jagged Vision will release second full-length album Death Is This World on March 10th and just recently unveiled another track from the album titled Euthanasia." Listen in below. The follow-up to 2014's debut album ...

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Jagged Vision Streaming "Euthanasia" - Metal Underground

Research funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that people were united in compassion for those with terminal illnesses. Photograph: Greg White/Reuters

Brigit Forsyth, the actor best know as Thelma in Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? is currently playing a terminally ill musician on stage. Her character in Killing Time says shes a prime candidate for a one-way trip to Switzerland. Forsyth has disclosed that her GP grandfather helped dying patients end their lives and that she is in favour of euthanasia. Her comments are the latest in a long line of opinions on legalised assisted dying reported in the press, which has a habit of oversimplifying the complex arguments for and against. And this seems to be damaging our ability to hold meaningful public debate on the subject.

With this in mind, a study funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation sought the views of people with strongly opposed opinions on the matter. Participants in both groups included people with palliative care backgrounds, older and disabled people, those from organisations concerned with care and support and individuals from academic, social work and policy backgrounds.

What emerged is a surprising amount of common ground. People with apparently polarised views on legalising the right to die often shared areas of interest and concern. It is these areas that should form the basis for further public discussion, argues the report, Assisted Dying: Developing the Debate, which is published on Wednesday by the Shaping Our Lives network of user-led groups, service users and disabled people.

Shared concerns included clear agreement that palliative care for terminally ill people is inadequate. Whether for or against assisted dying, participants showed a willingness to discuss quality of life for terminally ill people, the value placed on good-quality care, and how to invest in and provide access to this care in the face of economic inequality.

Participants recognised that the debate on legalising assisted dying was taking place in an unequal society: we often place lower social value on older, sick, and disabled people. The research identified a willingness to discuss prevailing societal values, including the concept of being a burden on society; the value society placed on social care and support work; and our social attitudes towards death and dying. How should assisted dying be funded?, Where should it be performed?, and What methods and means of self-administering a fatal dose should be used?, were just some of the common questions raised.

Despite disagreement about the extent to which detailed processes and safeguards should be included in assisted dying legislation, participants from across the spectrum of opinion generally agreed that the how questions were not being discussed in enough depth.

Areas of shared understanding also emerged when respondents discussed ethical and existential ideas around death and dying, including the psychological aspects of pain and suffering, both for individuals and their loved ones. All participants had a wish to find the best way forward with compassion for people who are terminally ill, regardless of being for or against legalising assisted dying, the report concludes.

The study shows that the issues are far more complex than much of the public debate has so far allowed. Death and dying is a core issue for human beings, and public debate must reflect this. It is time to embrace the personal, social, policy and ethical issues that participants have highlighted.

Back in the theatre, Forsyths dying musician is visited by a young carer (Zoe Mills) who feels it is her duty to help put older people out of their misery. According to the reviews, she comes to realise that life and death is more nuanced.

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Shared concerns unite all sides of the euthanasia debate | Peter ... - The Guardian

More dog food has been recalled because it may contain a deadly drug.

Evangers Dog and Cat Food announced Tuesday that it is expanding its recall of both Evangers and Against the Grain dog foods because the canned foods may be tainted with pentobarbital. The barbiturate is used to euthanize animals as well as in human executions and physician-assisted suicides.

The initial voluntary recall was announced earlier this month after five Washougal, Clark County, dogs became ill after eating Evangers Hunk of Beef products, and one died.

The expanded recall announced Tuesday includes:

Evangers Hunk of Beef; 12 ounce can; Item #776155

Evangers: Braised Beef; 12 ounce can; Item #776150

Against the Grain Pulled Beef; 12 ounce can; Item #776107

The three recalled products were made between December 2015 and January 2017, and have expiration dates of December 2019 through January 2021, according to Evangers. The products were distributed online and through independent pet stores nationwide.

How the deadly drug and horse meat got into the cans of dog food remains a mystery.

Evangers vice president has blamed his meat supplier for the problem. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspected the suppliers plant and found systems in place to keep euthanized animals out of the food stream, according to Food Safety News.

Evangers vice president Joel Sher told Petfoodindustry.com that along with pentobarbital, private laboratory results found horse DNA in samples of the Hunk of Beef dog food that were recalled Feb. 3. Against the Grain Pet Food recalled one lot of Against the Grain Pulled Beef with Gravy Dinner for Dogs on Feb. 14. Against the Grain is owned by members of the Sher family, according to Petfood Industry.

There is also an issue about the quality of meat Evangers used and the condition of its plants where the food is produced, according to the FDA.

FDA officials have said the Hunk of Beef meat did not come from a U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved supplier of human-grade meat, something that Evangers has claimed since 2003, according to Food Safety News.

And Petfood Industry says FDA inspectors also noted food-safety problems at Evangers Wheeling, Ill., plant where the dog foods are produced. Some of these issues included peeling paint and mold on the walls, lack of raw meat refrigeration, and an open sewer within 25 feet of food storage trailers, Petfood Industry says.

Sher has said he has contested those notes in a response to the FDA.

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Evanger's expands recall because dog food may contain euthanasia drug - The Seattle Times

By Carol Christian, Houston Chronicle

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Keep clicking to see a gallery of some unusual last wishes of people near the end of their lives:

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Keep clicking to see a gallery

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last Wishes, a pet euthanasia service, has added a stationary hospice to its previously all-mobile business. The new center at 3036 Antoine Drive opened Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017.

Last wishes come in many forms. Some are more unusual than others.

Last wishes come in many forms. Some are more unusual than others.

Family time

Family time

Fictional

Fictional

A final visit

A final visit

Stopping time

Stopping time

The final wishes of Charles Peeples, a Seguin tow truck operator and owner, were granted when his hearse was given a final lift by his flatbed during his funeral procession on June 4, 2016.

The final wishes of Charles Peeples, a Seguin tow truck operator and owner, were granted when his hearse was given a final lift by his flatbed during his funeral procession on June 4, 2016.

A new home

A new home

Celebration

Celebration

Devin Kohlman rests at his home in Port Clinton, Ohio after returning from a Cincinnati hospital. Kohlman, a boy whose last wish was to be home for his favorite holiday, has died, two weeks after his hometown welcomed him with a Christmas tree outside his window and a motorcycle-riding Santa Claus. Devin, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in the summer of 2012, died Monday, Nov. 11, 2013 in the afternoon, said family friend Roseann Hickman.

Devin Kohlman rests at his home in Port Clinton, Ohio after returning from a Cincinnati hospital. Kohlman, a boy whose last wish was to be home for his favorite holiday, has died, two weeks

Clear his name

Clear his name

Being there

Being there

Heart and home

Heart and home

Warn the living

Warn the living

Snowy romp

Snowy romp

Last Wishes mobile pet euthanasia service adds storefront hospice for pets

Anyone who lives with companion animals knows that the bond is unique, but can be just as profound as the connection with human loved ones.

So when it's time to put down a pet that is terminally ill or otherwise suffering, animal lovers want to do it as humanely as possible, but may struggle to make the decision.

Helping people cope with that struggle has led to a successful business known as Last Wishes, a 4-year-old mobile pet euthanasia service that allows animals to die at home in a familiar and comfortable environment.

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Owned by Dr. Christie Cornelius, Last Wishes has also opened a storefront hospice at 3036 Antoine to provide pet owners another option.

"For people who don't wish to have services performed in their homes or are looking for a less-expensive alternative, we offer in-center euthanasia," Cornelius said.

"What we're offering in our center is a home away from home," she said. "The 'exam rooms' look like living rooms with plush furniture and area rugs in a nice, relaxing, stress-free environment."

The center, near U.S. 290 and West 34th Street in northwest Houston, also offers pain management, laser therapy, acupuncture, pet-loss support groups and community networking, Cornelius said.

JUST IN TIME: Police, Texas vet save puppy from heroin overdose, owners arrested

Most clients come to Last Wishes, either the mobile service or Antoine Drive center, through referrals from other veterinarians, but Cornelius said a referral is not required,

"After a long conversation, we get an idea of whether euthanasia is warranted," she said. "We talk (clients) through a quality-of-life evaluation, to see in what ways their pets are suffering. Typically when an owner is ready, the pet is ready."

A new service, "aquamation," is being offered through a sister business, Earthman Last Wishes, which Cornelius co-owns with partner David Earthman. Rather than cremation of a body through burning, aquamation uses water with a salt base and takes about 20 hours.

"We have the first unit for private use in Texas," Cornelius said of the aquamation facility. "It's an environmentally friendly way to honor your pet."

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Last Wishes mobile pet euthanasia service adds storefront hospice for pets - Chron.com

BBC News

DJ's assisted suicide stirs up Italy euthanasia debate BBC News The debate has been especially passionate in a country where the Roman Catholic Church, which is deeply opposed to euthanasia, still holds great sway. The Church sees it as the morally unacceptable killing of a person - a violation of the law of God. DJ, 40, ends his life at Swiss suicide clinic after crash that left him paralysedMetro 'Please let me die': Paralysed DJ euthanises himself following horror crashYahoo7 News Italy: assisted dying debate reignitedeuronews ANSA (registration) all 8 news articles »

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DJ's assisted suicide stirs up Italy euthanasia debate - BBC News

An Italian DJ who was left blind and tetraplegic following a car crash, has died by assisted suicide in Switzerland, as politicians in Rome delayed talks on a living will law for a third time.

Thirty-nine-year-old Fabiano Antoniani sustained the injuries in 2014.

Right-to-die activist and former MEP Marco Cappato accompanied him to the Swiss clinic.

He tweeted: Fabo died at 11.40. He chose to go by the rules of a country that is not his.

In a later statement, Cappato told the press: On Monday morning (February 27), after a second medical examination, he confirmed his wish to die. He then used his mouth one of the few movements he was able to perform by himself to activate the substance that would send him to sleep within minutes then, without suffering, he died.

Cappato could face five to 12 years in prison if found guilty of helping Antoniani to commit suicide.

In Italy, euthanasia is illegal. However, patients do have the right to refuse care, which has led to several contradicting cases.

Antoniani, known as DJ Fabo, had appealed to President Sergio Mattarella for the right to die and, shortly before his death, criticised Italy for failing to pass laws on end-of-life issues.

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Italy: tetraplegic DJ stirs up euthanasia debate by assisted suicide in Switzerland - euronews

MercatorNet

Euthanasia and Alzheimer's: Canada takes a step in the wrong direction MercatorNet The euthanasia machine has once again become activated, following the compassionate murder of a woman with advanced stage Alzheimer's. Although the details are not yet known, it appears that her exhausted spouse may have cracked. The despair ... and more »

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Euthanasia and Alzheimer's: Canada takes a step in the wrong direction - MercatorNet

Choice is an Illusion President Margaret Dore States Hawaii Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia Act Must Be Rejected

HONOLULU, Feb. 27, 2017 -- Attorney Margaret Dore, president of Choice is an Illusion, which is fighting assisted suicide and euthanasia legalization efforts throughout the United States, made the following statement in connection with an assisted suicide/euthanasia bill set for hearing tomorrow in the Hawaii State Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor. The bill is SB 1129 S.D. 1.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/58967841-09da-4273-934a-f638de752bac

The bill seeks to pass a proposed act legalizing assisted suicide and allowing euthanasia, said Dore. If enacted, the act will apply to people with years or decades to live. The act is a recipe for elder abuse, especially for people with money, meaning the middle class and above in the inheritance situation.

Dore said, "The proposed act allows the patient's heir, who will financially benefit from the patient's death, to actively participate in requesting the lethal dose. After that, no doctor, not even a witness, is required to be present at the death. Even if the patient struggled, who would know?"

"But, it gets worse," said Dore, "the death certificate is required to list a terminal disease as the cause of death, which prevents prosecution." Dore explained, "The official cause of death is a terminal disease (not murder) as a matter of law. For inheritance perpetrators, the death certificate is a 'stay out of jail free card.'

Dore stated, If enacted, the proposed act will legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia for people who are 'terminal,' which is defined as a doctor's prediction of less than six months to live. In real life, such persons may have years or decades to live."

"Doctors can be wrong about life expectancy, sometimes way wrong," said Dore. "This is due to mistakes and the fact that predicting life expectancy is not an exact science. A few years ago, I was met at the airport by a man who at age 18 or 19 had been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) and given 3 to 5 years to live, at which time he would die by paralysis. His diagnosis had been confirmed by the Mayo Clinic. When he met me at the airport, he was 74 years old. The disease progression had stopped on its own."

Dore stated, The proposed act is based on a similar law in Oregon. In Oregon, a young adult with insulin dependent diabetes is terminal because the six months to live is determined without treatment. A typical insulin dependent adult will live less than a month without insulin. Such persons are therefore terminal for the purpose of assisted suicide.

Dore added, By contrast, with insulin, such persons may have decades to years or decades to live.

Dore concluded, The proposed act will create the perfect crime and encourage people with years or decades to live to throw away their lives. The act must be rejected.

For more information, see Dore Memo Opposing SB 1129 SD1, which can be viewed at these links: memoand appendix.

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Choice is an Illusion President Margaret Dore States Hawaii ... - EconoTimes

The lives of elderly and severely ill persons and people with disabilities would be threatened under a proposal to legalize assisted suicide introduced in the Minnesota Senate today. Because of the broad dangers of assisted suicide, the bill is strongly opposed by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL), the states oldest and largest pro-life organization.

S.F. 1572 would overturn the states longstanding prohibition against assisted suicide. A similar bill was introduced in 2015 and never received a vote.

Our law against assisted suicide has protected vulnerable people for many years, said MCCL Legislative Associate Andrea Rau. Minnesotans recognize that persons seeking help to kill themselves need immediate care, including medical and mental health carenot assisted suicide.

By legalizing assisted suicide, this bill would open the door to new kinds of pressure and coercion. In Oregon, which pioneered legal assisted suicide, 40 percent of assisted suicide victims have expressed concern about being a burden on family and friends, according to the Oregon Public Health Division. S.F. 1572 does not require the prescribing physician to even be present when the lethal dose is administered, and no witnesses to the death are required. No one would know if the person died against his or her will.

Keep up with the latest pro-life news and information on Twitter.

If assisted suicide is legalized, it becomes the least expensive treatment. Public and private insurers may have a financial incentive to steer patients toward assisted suicide rather than life-extending treatment. This has already happened to some patients in Oregon, where some patients have been denied life-extending treatment by health care providers, and instead offered coverage of life-ending medication.

The Senate bill relies on a terminal diagnosis, but such diagnoses are sometimes wrong. Legalizing assisted suicide encourages patients who would live for weeks, months, years or even decades to throw their lives away.

The broad dangers of legalizing assisted suicide must not be ignored, Rau added. The bill introduced today poses serious risks for Minnesotans. MCCL urges legislators to oppose this measure.

LifeNews.com Note: Bill Poehler is the communications director for Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life.

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Minnesota Euthanasia Advocates Introduce Legislation to Legalize ... - LifeNews.com