- Jolanda Fun, a physically healthy Dutch woman, is scheduled to undergo euthanasia due to her mental health issues.
- Euthanasia for psychiatric reasons has become more common in the Netherlands, with 138 cases in 2023.
- Fun’s decision was influenced by her family’s health struggles and her own feelings of constant sadness and loneliness.
Jolanda Fun, a physically healthy Dutch woman, is set to become the latest person in the Netherlands to end her life by euthanasia on her 34th birthday, April 25, 2024. Despite her physical health, Fun has been battling severe mental health issues, including depression, an eating disorder, autism, and mild learning difficulties. These conditions have led her to seek a peaceful end to her life, rather than continuing to struggle with her mental health.
Fun has been open about her decision, sharing her story with the Sunday Times and expressing her hope to become the latest person in the Netherlands to receive a doctor-assisted death for psychiatric problems. She has prepared invitations for her own funeral in advance, indicating her readiness for the end. The Netherlands has seen a significant number of euthanasia cases for mental health issues, with 138 people suffering from such conditions receiving a doctor-assisted death in 2023, accounting for 1.5 percent of all euthanasia cases in the country that year.
Fun’s journey towards euthanasia began with her seeking a psychiatrist willing to accompany her on the euthanasia journey. She had registered at the Expertisecentrum Euthanasie (Expertise Center Euthanasia) in the Netherlands a year before her interview with The Sunday Times. Despite having tried various therapies and medications, Fun felt that these options were not effective for her. She expressed her exhaustion with the fight against her mental health issues, stating that she was “a little at the end” and “tired of fighting”.
Fun’s decision to end her life by euthanasia was influenced by her family’s health struggles and her own long-standing contemplation of death. She mentioned that her parents are fighting to stay alive, and she felt a desire to “step out of life.” This decision was not made lightly, as Fun had been depressed since she was seven years old and had often thought about death. She sought therapy multiple times but ultimately decided on euthanasia two years ago after speaking with a counselor who informed her that the Netherlands’ laws permitted it for psychiatric reasons.
What Is Euthanasia?
Euthanasia is a practice aimed at ending the life of a patient to alleviate their suffering, typically for those who are terminally ill or experiencing severe pain. Euthanasia and assisted suicide are practices that vary significantly across the globe, with legal frameworks and public attitudes towards them shaped by cultural, religious, and ethical considerations. Here’s a detailed overview based on the provided sources:
Legal Landscape and Prevalence
Canada: Legalized in 2015, Canada has seen a significant increase in the number of people dying with assistance, accounting for 3.3% of all deaths in 2021. This includes both euthanasia and assisted suicide, with the latter being considered for individuals with a non-mental health issue, a change from the traditional criteria of being terminally ill or suffering from a degenerative disease.
Netherlands and Belgium: Both countries allow both euthanasia and assisted suicide. In the Netherlands, there were 6,585 cases of voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide in 2017, representing 4.4% of the total number of deaths. About 96% of these cases involved euthanasia, with less than 4% being assisted suicide. The largest proportion of cases involved people with cancer.
Switzerland: The number of people who underwent assisted suicide rose from 187 in 2003 to 965 in 2015.
United Kingdom: Euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal in the UK, with potential legal consequences for those involved. However, anonymous surveys suggest that euthanasia does occur, albeit very rarely, with 0.2% of deaths involving voluntary euthanasia and 0.3% involving euthanasia without explicit patient request.
ALSO READ: Giancarlo Esposito Reveals Suicide Plan and Murder-For-Hire Plot for Insurance Money
