Belgium has become the first nation to permit euthanasia for terminally ill children of any age. The landmark legislation was passed by the lower house of parliament. Anyway children who are in their imaginary world of fairy tale will never understand the concept of suicide. Of course, euthanasia is quite a dramatic issue to debate as the decisions are made by heart and emotions and instead of using brains. Some parents are pleased with the legislation while some others are not happy with it as it doesn’t resolve the issue. Which parent would like their children to die?
In a statement preceding the upper house vote in December, the Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic movement of lay people, said it expressed concern that sick people, especially the young, may choose to die as they don’t want to become a burden for others. But how would a child even realise whether he or she would become a burden for others. Instead their expectations from their parents would be high.
Since childhood, children are taught to fear about death and most of them don’t even know about it. In such circumstances who would take the decision pertaining to mercy killing? No doubt a child suffering hazardous pain and illness like chemo, aids, cancers etc won’t be aware how his or her phenotype is under attack.
On the other hand, what if parents are fully ready to support and go that extra mile to let their child live an abnormal life. Even though children stay with parents but they become a burden on them.
Once again how can anyone allow their child to undergo unbearable pain when there is no relief and death is certain anyway?
Of course, young children may not understand about this issue but do you? Do you become smarter just because you are old? If a child has been suffering with no end in sight, why shouldn’t he be allowed to take a decision about his life? I hear about parents ask children to undergo endless treatments so that the former don’t feel guilty. Maybe the child is tired of the bearing the pain.
Also why should parents lose their lifetime savings and see their child undergoing relentless pain dying a slow death that seeps through their body steadily taking them away?
