Belgium Senate Approves Measure Allowing Doctors to Euthanize Children

Guess this is a day for social issues and this one might be right at the top of that. Looks like Belgium is pulling out the stops on their euthanasia program so they can start killing the kids too.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for voluntary euthanasia for adults but kids? No way does this seem right. Kids for the most part can not make a decision like this with any degree of accuracy.

Belgium: Senate Approves Measure Allowing Doctors to Euthanize Children

The Belgian Senate voted today 50-17 to extend euthanasia to children with disabilities, in a move pro-life advocates worldwide had been fearing would come and expand an already much-abused euthanasia law even further.

The vote today in the full Senate comes after a Senate committee voted 13-4 to allow minors to seek euthanasia under certain conditions and the measure also would extend the right to request euthanasia to adults with dementia.

This somehow does not seem like a law to relieve suffering but more like a way to get rid of medically expensive cases. How can immature children or people unable to make decisions make decisions like this? What could possibly go wrong?

Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition say “The Belgian Socialist government is adamant that the euthanasia law needs to extend to minors and people with dementia even though there is significant examples of how the current law is being abused and the bracket creep of acceptable reasons for euthanasia continues to grow.”

Lucky this is just confined to Belgium right?

The Netherlands already allows children over the age of 12 to request euthanasia with the consent of their parents.

Bracket creep indeed, more like country creep.

reply to post by Bassago


I've been on the fence about some euthanasia cases/stories. I can see why some fully cognitive adults may choose that option. Now the children on the other hand. I as a parent would be tortured having to make that call. I know parents have to make the infamous 'Pull the plug' call everyday all over the world but man that would just kill me as a pop.

Seems like a slippery slope. Don't get me wrong, if one of my two were brain dead or were suffering needlessly with no hope of ever recovering or finding a cessation of pain and suffering I would make the call grudgingly.

But I would, even though it would tear my heart out to do so....

reply to post by SLAYER69


Yeah, understandable and I agree. For my family the dementia issue hits really close to home but since I'm not in Belgium it's only a thought puzzle. For now anyway.

Hey,Hey its not like many of us haven't thought of doing the kids and that is just our momentary crazy's as parents but when a Govt.a group of Politicians (probably a corporation )decides to off the little ones ,and puts it into a LAW then maybe just maybe , it's time for the return of The Lord Jesus to put a end to this craziness ...

reply to post by Bassago


I can understand the need for euthanasia as a choice for families of terminal patients or those who are doomed to suffer for the rest of their lives, but where do you draw the line? What you posted says that it is already being abused. I wonder how long it will be before euthanasia is offered as an option for our elderly loved one's right along with home health care and nursing home care? Disgusting if it ever comes to that! Kid born not to your liking? Put them to sleep like a lame horse and try again! Despicable, but not beyond the realm of what society is capable of.

reply to post by littled16


It is the Law makers that are creating these scenarios and actually want to intervene to claim to speak for me you and anyone else that may remain silent .Thank you for being one of ??? that will add their voice against such EVIL..

I'm wondering if there is some language in this euthanasia law concerning children which is not being reported by you, OP. Surely the guidelines would be exceptionally strict as to what constitutes when euthanasia is necessary in the case of a child.

Most people who are adult candidates for euthanasia are not really of sound mind either and cannot give informed consent on the matter.

It is a sticky situation, but if I had a child who was suffering horribly, with no hope of ever getting better, I would chose euthanasia. No parent would take this lightly, and I doubt the doctors wouldn't either.

If you have never been in a situation in which you saw a family member desperately need euthanasia, but it was not available by law, then you have no idea how heart-wrenching and upsetting it is. To see them suffer day after day in agony while they are being kept alive artificially is something that nobody should have to witness. Medical science has advanced just far enough to keep people alive, but their quality of life is poor and level of suffering can often be intense.

Hopefully this is not a vague law, but a very strict one.

reply to post by FissionSurplus


Some of the links within the article itself have some info. Haven't found anything specifically on the kids. What I did find is very disturbing.

In 2007, we surveyed 1678 nurses who, in an earlier survey, had reported caring for one or more patients who received a potential life-ending decision within the year before the survey.

Results: The response rate was 76%. Overall, 128 nurses reported having cared for a patient who received euthanasia and 120 for a patient who received life-ending drugs without his or her explicit request. Source

How about that? Nothing like being murdered when you're even looking.

Way to pull things out of proportion...

I'm from Belgium, this is not being abused, for some reason it seems the international press likes to put a twist to things as i believe it would be more correct to say that currently it already happens in secret in some extreme cases. This was simply acknowledged with this law, for EXTREME CASES.

Parents have a veto too and the child and every aspect involved will be investigated. You all would rather see your child suffer? we're talking extreme cases, not the flu...

if anything this is good, if its already happening i rather see it legislated so cases of "putting the unwanted kid to sleep" can be prevented.

my only reservation remains that it is sad we as a society prefer to stigmatize some alternative possible treatments that might work, because we fear them... Currently we just dont try it all and in extreme cases choose the "easy" way when MAYBE we could, as a very last effort try other things such as medical cannabis oils etc. if you're desperate, why not...

Bassago
reply to post by FissionSurplus

 

Some of the links within the article itself have some info. Haven't found anything specifically on the kids. What I did find is very disturbing.

In 2007, we surveyed 1678 nurses who, in an earlier survey, had reported caring for one or more patients who received a potential life-ending decision within the year before the survey.

Results: The response rate was 76%. Overall, 128 nurses reported having cared for a patient who received euthanasia and 120 for a patient who received life-ending drugs without his or her explicit request. Source

How about that? Nothing like being murdered when you're even looking.

bit of comprehensive reading please...

study has nothing to do with children in the first place
second, the shocking conclusion you allude to is that in belgium only a phyician can perform euthanasia, yet some nurses were closer involved than they legally were allowed, some even administered the life ending drug when only the phyician is legally allowed to

thought still a nasty find, its hardly what you're suggesting it implies...

I think euthanasia should be an ACTUAL choice by law.
I think everything human should have the option & parents
should have the option for their kids under certain circumstances.

I come from the animal ER side & you would not believe how many
pet owners will NOT euthanize their pet no matter how much they are
suffering& dying when there is absolutely nothing else we can do to help the patient.

I do NOT want to live that way. I want a choice for myself & to NOT suffer
& be miserable the rest of my life. So I am all for the right to choose.

As far as children I think they should have a right as well as parents on their decision
but they may need proper guidance to come to the end conclusion. I'm only saying
that euthanasia should be an option at the correct time. Who the bloody hell
wants to live in misery the rest of their life or even worse than that?

Cheers
Ektar

reply to post by NoNameNeeded


First, thanks for posting. Always good to get input from someone who is actually there.

When a person is euthanized without their explicit request I'd say that's way over the line no matter how you slice it. I mean what can you say, "Well the doctors and nurses sorta thought they wanted to die?"

Since they want to expand this to children as well they could fall under this as well. Perhaps not as easily but the possibility is still there.

The original article also speaks of this being used to cover up medical mistakes which open up the kids to the abuse as well.

euthanasia without expicit request deals with end of life care btw, not with how much a patient costs or other such nonsense. if death is in sight, assistive medicine will at times be administered and though yes, some nurses seem to go out of bounds, i dont see how thats related with op let alone how it should prove its not a well defined law when it applies to children, as it is.

we have one of the best healthcare systems, very progessive though expensive as #, but its better than seeing taxmoney go to military expenses, a proposition which was instantly shot down by the same parliament that approved this one.

They should let the painful terminaly ill, vegetable kids reach till 18 years old.
That is way more humane

Bassago
reply to post by NoNameNeeded

 

Since they want to expand this to children as well they could fall under this as well. Perhaps not as easily but the possibility is still there.

The original article also speaks of this being used to cover up medical mistakes which open up the kids to the abuse as well.

oh please.. in what imaginary case would that happen? a child with no family who has been in a coma for since birth and on top of that has a brain tumor the size of a football that has already ruined all chances of surviving without lifesupport? because in that case, id give the go ahead too...

its not for everyday cases, they have NO CLUE how many children are euthanised which is way worse... at least now we'll know as drs can be honest.

as long as its regulated well, which it is, i dont see the problem
i can understand your reservations, but thats it...


does "parents have a veto" not say enough?... its an OPTION and a valuable in some cases imo

rupertg
They should let the painful terminaly ill, vegetable kids reach till 18 years old.
That is way more humane

exactly..

2

reply to post by NoNameNeeded

its not for everyday cases, they have NO CLUE how many children are euthanised which is way worse... at least now we'll know as drs can be honest.

If they have no clue how many children have been euthanized then how can the doctors be considered reliable? Are you saying that doctors in Belgium don't lie or cover up their medical mistakes? Your faith in doctors is much higher than mine.

Since this can be administered to someone suffering from depression even it seems quite a dangerous expansion of the current law.

Bassago
reply to post by NoNameNeeded

 

its not for everyday cases, they have NO CLUE how many children are euthanised which is way worse... at least now we'll know as drs can be honest.

If they have no clue how many children have been euthanized then how can the doctors be considered reliable? Are you saying that doctors in Belgium don't lie or cover up their medical mistakes? Your faith in doctors is much higher than mine.

Since this can be administered to someone suffering from depression even it seems quite a dangerous expansion of the current law.

"sorry mr and mrs johnson, i f'd up your kid, lets keep it a secret!" ??

not really buying it, how exactly would one cover up a medical mistake? before the law, it still had to be requested by the parents you know, as it was rather important the parents kept it between them, you're suggesting MURDER which, im afraid, is not the same? you either go for surgery or euthanasia, you dont ask for surgery to then hear "yeah i was going to get started but i got to thinking and well..."


depression?? where are you getting this?

NoNameNeeded

depression?? where are you getting this?

From the original article. Is this incorrect?

Dr Paul Saba of Physicians for Social Justice, is very concerned about the situation in Belgium. “They are already euthanising people who are depressed or tired of life because they have taken the interpretations of saying physical and/or psychological suffering

reply to post by Bassago


I can understand euthanasia on children who are dying an extremely painful death or if they're brain dead. I wouldn't want to see my children suffer when they could die a peaceful death. There would have to be parameters set and all possible medical treatments to preserve their life must be exhausted.

I just find it hypocritical when people don't like seeing animals in pain and feel euthanising them will put them out of pain and misery, but yet they think it's criminal when we do it to humans. There's nothing wrong with letting people die a peaceful death. Sometimes the loved one has to make the decision to let them go peacefully.