18th October 2008 – Several newspapers are reporting that a 23 year old rugby player, Dan James was taken to Swiss suicide clinic by his parents and died in the clinic, after being paralysed from the chest down during a training accident. His parents’ actions are being investigated by police. They have defended their actions by saying that their son “had tried to commit suicide three times but this was unsuccessful due to his disability. His only other option was to starve himself.”
Appalling as his injuries were, how could anyone think his “only option” suicide? Anyone who is suicidal or depressed needs help and to be shown how much they are loved and valued by society, not be written off as though their life is worthless.
One comment on The Times website is from someone who has very similar disabilities to Dan, she says “I too,cannot walk, have no hand function, am doubly incontinent and rely on 24-hour care for every basic need, but while there is life there is always hope.” Who knows what else Dan could have achieved, and what hopes, dreams and happiness he may have had one year, two years, ten years from now?
Anyone who supports human rights, and anyone who supports the rights of people with disabilities needs to speak out now to condemn the implications of accepting suicide for physically imperfect people.
October 18th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
What a tragic story.
This was clearly a severely depressed boy who was passing through the well-established stages of grieving his physical loss. He never had the opportunity to reach the last stage – the stage of acceptance.
This was not euthanasia for terminal illness. This was euthanasia for depression.
I am a parent and I have immense sympathy for Dan’s parents. Who could bear to watch their son suffering like that? But what he needed was support, counselling, hope, assistance with accepting his loss … not death.
I’m sure Dan’s parents have suffered more than enough already, so I hate to say this, but this case must go to court, and there must be a conviction. Otherwise the implicit conclusion must be that the UK accepts euthanasia for mentally ill people, and euthanasia for non-terminal illness.
Tragically, Dan had stated that he wasn’t prepared to live what he considered to be a ‘second-class existence’. If the UK law courts implicitly agree with his opinion of life with a disability (by not prosecuting his parents), then in the years to come, disabled people will increasingly feel the pressure to die, by a society that only values healthy, ‘useful’ life.
October 20th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
He was old enough to make his own decisions, and if thats what he wanted, Fair Enough.
Rest In Peace Dan.
October 23rd, 2008 at 9:16 am
What a sad tragic case!Human Life must be respected at all levels and assisted suicide is always and always will be wrong.
This young man’s parents were very misguided in their actions….this is murder in spite of loving their son. I totally agree with the above response…..this case must go to court and there must be a conviction.
This MUST NEVER be allowed to happen again in British law….human life is sacred and NO-ONE has the right to take life away
December 29th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
This WAS a terminal illness – It could never be cured could it? This is a young man who lived for his rugby, relied upon his ability and loved what he did. If he could not cope without sport, couldnt deal with his restricted life, and couldnt adjust, it was up to HIM to decide what to do. If his parents had not helped him he could have lifed for years resenting them and continuing to attempt suicide, possibly causing more damage and grief in the process. He did what HE believed was best for him and his family, and good on him. It’s not up to us what people do with their lives. The ProLife Alliance doesn’t campaign to ban alcohol or junk food? But at the end of the day that’s killing us too isn’t it! This organisation is hypocritical. You will cause suffering. We all die at some point so what does it matter if its a bit earlier that expected? How much potential did that young man have? He could hardly find a cure for cancer could he? His ‘meaning’ in life was to play rugby, and when he couldn’t do that, he didn’t see a meaning in life. Leave him, and everyone else who embraces free will, alone. There should NOT be a conviction here, because his parents did what he WANTED them to do. You do not convict the parents who buy their children chocolate, or mcdonalds, or smoke around them. Yet that too is killing them, but in a much more costly and painful way.
December 30th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Thanks for your post – however, it isn’t a terminal illness to be paralysed, and you recognise yourself that the future you predict for him is not a certainty when you say “he could have lived for years resenting them”, you recognise that it is only a possibility (could) not a certainty – how can you justify assisted suicide when it is as likely that with support this 23 year old would have discovered other passions in his life? You also choose very select analogies to compare assisted suicide to, and ignore much more relevant cases – what about the thousands of involuntary euthanasia cases in Holland where the patient is killed without being asked? Or the paralysed patient who wants to live but opts for euthanasia because the status quo supports euthanasia and he feels pressurised to die? What about the paralysed patient who can’t voice their wish to live? Or what about the depressed patient who wishes to die but then changes their mind?
January 15th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Thats ridicuous, the point about pressure, if thats the case remove all alcohol, cigerettes and temptations. An option doesnt mean you will be forced to do something, its a choice. and yes the forced ones are horrible, but … I would rather have the choice than live being forced to wake up everyday sad, alone and depressed. What a horrible existance. Choice is something our country has always supported. We do not have harsh rules and regulations, we have fought to avoid being told how to rule our lives. So why cant you let people decide to have abortion, and Euthanasia. I think your correct – it should be monitored and not abused, but it shouldnt be removed incase of this abuse. If we did that – then we would all sit in side going ‘what if’ all day.
January 18th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
To H Re “How much potential did that young man have? He could hardly find a cure for cancer could he?”
Well finding a cure for cancer is surely not a prerequisite for a valuable or meaningful life?! Anyhow please take a look at Professor Hawkins.. His condition is arguably worse than Dan`s yet he is reknowned and repected the world over for his expertise and discoveries in astronomy.. Every life has value and potential,and it`s a tremedous tragedy that this young man was assisted to die in this way.. It sets a very dangerous precedent and it seems extremely unlikely that his parents will be prosecuted.
March 19th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
If someone wants to die then they should be allowed. If I had a terminal illness the last think I would want is a battle to end it.If you do not like it then don’t do it, but if someone else wants to, good luck to them.
March 23rd, 2009 at 1:38 am
I can really understand why he’d want to die, it must’ve been horrible. You wouldn’t put a pet through that, nevermind your son.
Also, as sad as it is, he really wouldn’t have accomplished anything. He couldn’t even wash himself, feed himself, or even do something as simple as eat with a knife and fork. The only way he could ever do anything was for other people to do it for him. Poor guy.
And yes, I am for human rights. The man wanted to die, and forcing him to live a life of doing nothing for himself while being depressed enough to attempt suicide three times is not the right thing to do.
July 7th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
I can see totally why he would want to die in all honesty and the quote from the other person is, in my opinion, totally irrelevant as if someone really wants to die then it is a right to allow them to.
Suicide is not illegal as anyone has a right to say when they want to die.