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Sex change man chooses euthanasia
http://www.smh.com.au/world/sex-change-man-chooses-euthanasia-20131002-2urik.html
A Belgian man has been killed by medical euthanasia after claiming that a botched sex change operation had turned him into “a monster”.
Nathan, born Nancy, Verhelst, 44, was given legal euthanasia, most likely by lethal injection, on the grounds of “unbearable psychological suffering”.
Wim Distelmans, a cancer specialist who carried out the euthanasia on Monday, is the same doctor who last year gave lethal injections to congenitally deaf twins who were frightened they were also going blind.
Explaining his decision hours before his death, Mr Verhelst said he was “the girl that nobody wanted”.
AdvertisementHe told Het Laatste Nieuws newspaper: “While my brothers were celebrated, I got a storage room above the garage as a bedroom. ‘If only you had been a boy’, my mother complained. I was tolerated, nothing more.”
Mr Verhelst had hormone therapy in 2009, followed by a mastectomy and surgery to construct a penis last year. However, “none of these operations worked as desired”, he said. “I was ready to celebrate my new birth, but when I looked in the mirror, I was disgusted with myself. My new breasts did not match my expectations and my new penis had symptoms of rejection. I do not want to be a monster.”
He informed his family of his death by letter. “I had happy times, but the balance is on the wrong side,” he said.
Prof Distelmans said: “He was in a situation with incurable, unbearable suffering. Unbearable suffering for euthanasia can be both physical and psychological.”
Mr Verhelst’s death will revive Belgium’s debate over medical euthanasia as statistics show a 25 per cent increase this year, to 1432, in the number of cases. The country is one of only three in Europe, along with Holland and Luxembourg, that allows the practice.
The Daily Telegraph, London
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1 Reply
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I think like many here we seen those who gone and did the sex change to end up unhappy and alone. and then kill themselfs.
Even after years of going to shrinks who seem to enjoy the cash flow and saying they are ready.
I will argue this again and again, the way of ones thinking is always a trap waiting to spring open and rip you apart. I will not blame magazines for being all at fault but what we see as an image in our minds eye and that of this real word.
We trend to often to what we see in magizines, T.V, Hollywood even porn to what should be, not what is. People forget that to make such images its endless hours of make up and photo shopping.
There is no such thing as the perfect man or woman.Nancy just gave up to soon after taking on an express train to her female self.
She could have been wanted and loved if she gave herself half a chance at life.Not trying to be mean or nasty. But from what I seen of those who have become full time there is always a price to pay for such adventure and must not be taken light hearted.
For most not all they will lose rank or power or worse lose the jobs they taken years to build.
From the sad story and from what I could read here.Nancy gone into thise with rose colored glassess on and paid the ultimate price. She was alone and not loved.
Finding love as a CD, TV what ever tag you like to place yourself in is hard as hell. Its taken me years to find some one I could call a Boyfriend.
Its all to easy to stand back and look at ourselves and hate what we see. judging even ourself as Freaks. And then thinking we failed in this mission we call our life.
I spit in the face of such judgement and say Get F**ked! I am who I am. I love my life and I do love myself. So I will not be as sexy as others and yes I do feel alone at times. But I will die in my high heels knowing I did one thing I lived my life the best way possible.Shit will not always happen if Nancy given herself time and a chance she may have found things changed if she given herself more time.
This is something we all must do and face ourselfs and life with the gift that it is.We as adult chose a path that is hard and at times alone. But we made that choice. Killing yourself sure is something you can not undo.
Remember no one will love you if you do not love yourself and those around you.
