Thousands of Kiwis from all walks of life, concerned about the danger this law poses to our country and some of its most vulnerable citizens, have come together to #DefendNZ against this proposed law. Here are some of their stories.
Hear the stories of four people who could qualify for assisted dying (euthanasia or assisted suicide) under the Act should it pass the binding referendum at the October election. Listen as they bring you into the realities of their worlds and explain why they see the legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide as such a threat to their well-being and their lives. Included in these documentaries are commentaries from New Zealand and international experts in the fields of palliative care (care for terminally ill people), law, disability, medicine, bioethics and policy. Also find below videos from these New Zealand and international experts.
Vicki, who has a terminal brain tumour, knows what it’s like to want to die. She also knows what it’s like to want to live. Watching recent high-profile cases of young women with brain tumours seeking a doctor’s assistance to die by a lethal dose, she has felt extremely vulnerable – like she was being selfish by not ending her life. Laws send messages, and they have an impact beyond those who campaign for them so loudly and forcefully. Vicki doesn’t want the law to tell her that her life is of lesser value than the lives of able-bodied people.
Claire, a tetraplegic since the age of 17, once sought out assisted suicide from a clinic in Switzerland. When she realised that she wanted to die not because of her medical condition but because of her mental health, a whole new world opened up to her. She turned from assisted suicide supporter to assisted suicide critic. Today she wonders why New Zealand would accept and support the suicides of the seriously ill and the disabled when we’re trying so hard to battle suicide amongst the well and able-bodied.
Please note: Claire is not eligible for euthanasia based on her disability alone. However, she could become eligible under the terminal illness criteria if she were to refuse the care and treatments that are keeping her alive. Claire's disability makes her susceptible to lung-, urinary- and pressure sore infections that can become life-threatening if not treated quickly. She also needs regular bladder and bowel care in order to stay alive.
In the debate about legalising euthanasia, Kylee hears a lot of people talk about how it gives you a “choice”. But from her experience of living with a life-limiting (terminal) medical condition, choice is a relative term. When you live your life heavily reliant on other people and require costly treatments to stay alive, having the legal option to end your life could make you feel pressured to take up the offer.
Please note: Kylee has Classical Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which has progressed to a life-limiting (terminal) condition. She is in "an advanced state of irreversible decline in physical capability" and is frequently in hospital with serious complications. If at any point two doctors were to confirm that she has six months or less to live, she would be eligible for euthanasia under the End of Life Choice Act.
Glenn’s doctors gave him a prognosis of six months to live three times over a period of nearly nine years. Prognosis cannot only be a little off, it can be flat out wrong. Would euthanasia have been legal, Glenn could have ended his life with years still left ahead of him. He would have missed out on so much, as would his wife and young daughter.
John shares his story of living with cerebral palsy, chronic pain and declining mobility. Not one who usually seeks the limelight, John speaks out here to assert the right of those with disabilities to fair, compassionate, life-affirming treatment and inclusion in society. As he says, “If I were a 25-year-old rugby player, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Suddenly, because I’m sick, I have to stand in front of a camera and say why I think my life is valuable. This in itself is a huge problem.”
Worried about your or someone elses mental health?
In an emergency
Call 111
Need to talk?
Call or txt 1737
Suicide Helpline
0508 828 865
Lifeline
0800 543 354 or txt Help (4375)
Youthline
0800 376 633
