The mother whose depressed son was given the legal go-ahead to end his life through euthanasia has praised the decision saying the family can now finally rest after his death.
Two years ago, 38-year-old Dutchman Eelco de Gooijer from the city of Tilburg in the southern part of the Netherlands was euthanised after telling doctors he had been depressed for most of his life.
In April 2016, the 38-year-old Dutchman had his first meetings with doctors and psychologists and a few weeks later he was granted permission to be allowed to end his life through euthanasia.
Eelco spoke about his decision a week before his euthanasia, saying that doctors had tried to cure his depression, but nothing had helped.
He said: “I just want my suffering to stop. I have tried everything, but nothing helps.”
Eelco’s mother Monique de Gooijer has now said she is doing well two years after the death of her son and said it gave the family much-needed mental rest.
She said: “He was never happy. For him life was really surviving.”
Monique explained that her son was diagnosed with PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, a form of autism) and underwent therapy from the age of three.
She said: “Eelco wanted the suffering to stop and that could only happen by death. We knew that he would never make it to the year 2017.”
Instead of committing suicide, Eelco set everything in motion to be allowed euthanasia.
Monique said: “We are lucky that his suicide could happen in this way. He sat in a chair and gently passed away. We asked him all kinds of questions and we managed to properly say farewell.”
And even though the anniversary of Eelco’s passing is a difficult moment for the family, Monique said that in general they feel relieved.
Monique said: “Now he received euthanasia it has given us mental rest. We now don’t need to fear that he will
attempt to commit suicide.”
Eelco’s mother explained that such a common thing as getting a flat tyre on his bike could have a huge impact on his mental well-being.
She said: “We were always on high alert, with every phone call and every message.”
Monique explained that she never saw Eelco as relaxed as the last few weeks before his death.
She said: “He was so relieved. His last moments were the happiest in his life. That is why this way of passing feels so good. But of course we enormously feel his absence.”
Eelco chose to seek media attention before his death to convince people in the same situation as him to consider euthanasia instead of committing suicide.
Some of his writings will now appear in a book, and also a documentary about Eelco’s life and decision to undergo euthanasia will be released.
According to Dutch law, euthanasia is only legal as long as it is performed according to the strict standards described in the “Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide (Review Procedures) Act” which was passed parliament in 2001 and became law in 2002.
Children as young as 12 can be granted euthanasia if they desire, but only after a doctor considers the suffering of the patient unbearable, with no end in sight.
Story By: Koen Berghuis, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
