I STILL remember it vividly: the day I learned that my grandfather, a key figure in my life, was dying of liver cancer. My mother broke the news to me as gently as she could. And then I heard it, the word that starts with the big ‘C’ -- Cancer. I felt my body go numb and my knees go soft. At 12 years old, I was already aware that it meant death but I had no idea what my grandfather had to endure then.
Nobody had to walk me through it because I saw with my own eyes. The cancer slowly stole the life out of him. Every day, I witnessed how his body withered like a plant. I saw how his eyes turned yellowish. And I could not count the times when I heard him say, “I am afraid of feeling pain.” He was already in the very late stage of cancer.
My grandfather is only one of the countless people who had lost their battles against cancer. He, like many of those who went before him, had to undergo unimaginable pain, both physically and emotionally. He had refused further treatment because it would entail a huge amount and would only extend his life for two to three months. He was also doubtful of the quality of life that he would have after treatment. His only request was to undergo palliative care, meaning, that he would only be given medication to ease his pain. For him, it was a choice to die with dignity. Now I pose this question to all of you: Is that euthanasia?
But before we delve deeper into that issue, let us attempt to define euthanasia. It comes from the Greek word “euthanatos” which means “happy death”. It is the act of facilitating death for the terminally sick or injured in a relatively painless way out of mercy.
There are different classifications of euthanasia: voluntary, non-voluntary, and involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia is conducted when a patient has given his or her consent. Non-voluntary euthanasia is performed when the consent of the patient is unavailable, either when the patient is in a vegetative state or in the occasion where the patient is a young child. Involuntary euthanasia is carried out against the will of the patient. This only transpires when the patient is in unbearable pain and his or her ailment is life-threatening.
These classifications can be further divided into and Active and Passive euthanasia. The former occurs when something is deliberately done to cause the patient to die. The latter transpires when medical professionals either do not do something necessary to keep the patient alive, or when they stop doing something that is keeping the patient alive, such as: switching off life-support machines, disconnecting a feeding tube, do not carry out a life-extending operation or the refusal to receive life-extending drugs.
To date, there are already several countries that have legalized the practice of euthanasia, the first being Netherlands. These countries may have different interpretations of the issue but their conditions similarly state that: The patient must be suffering unbearable pain, the illness must be incurable, and that the demand must be made in full consciousness of the patient.
In the Philippines, there is some confusion about the issue of euthanasia. On the one hand, our law states that it is strictly illegal to conduct such practice in our country, with such laws stating that doctors assisting patients to die can be imprisoned and charged with malpractice. But on the other hand, there have been cases wherein families and patients are given the option to ‘pull the plug’ so to speak. Take the example of my grandfather. My own mother signed a ‘Do Not Revive” document with the hospital administration. A DNR states that the attending physicians will not attempt to revive a patient when he flatlines. Also, the mere fact that my grandfather refused further treatment may fall under the classification of passive euthanasia.
This issue has sparked so much debate over the years and searching internet for some definitive answers will, in ways, create some confusion. There should be some sort of universal definition, wherein it is stated that it does not include discontinuing or starting a medically useless treatment, reducing or relieving pain when the intention is to kill the pain but not the patient, or refusal of medical treatment by a competent patient. For one, we have to do away with terms such as euthanasia, and suicide. Instead, use politically-correct terms such as death with dignity, physician-assisted death or physician-assisted dying or describe the ability of qualified terminally ill people to request medication to hasten their death.
There are several arguments that I would like to pose on this matter. First, there is a financial burden involved in keeping the person in life support or undergoing further treatment like chemotherapy or surgery to prolong the life of the patient. The patients would also need, if possible, round-the-clock medical care. If 80 percent of Filipinos live in poverty, how many people can then afford this? How can the family defray the medical expenses?
Secondly, we also need to consider the emotional burden that patient, as well as the family will undergo. Seeing your loved one in a vegetative state or coma and knowing that the chances for recovery is second to none are potentially nerve-wrecking and distressing.
Now I want to tell you a story. This is a story about a person - healthy, vibrant, full of life. I want you to picture this person.
One day, this person feels a lump on his neck. At first, he dismisses it, thinking it is just an infection. But the lump does not go away so he consults a doctor. He undergoes several diagnostics procedures which causes so much anxiety. Finally, the day when he would get his results arrives. He puts on a brave face to hide the agitation, the millions of questions. Then the doctor breaks the news: “It’s cancer.. and it’s in the late stage.” His world stops spinning. Everything else seems a blur. Cancer. It is like being handed a death sentence.
Then as the days, weeks and months go by, his body starts to deteriorate. His skin turns yellow and his skin starts to dry up. Those healthy cheeks are no longer visible. They start to look hollow. His speech begins to slur and he constantly sleeps. When he needs to urinate and defecate, he needs somebody to assist him. This, for him, is the most undignified manner of living. Sometimes, he cries because he feels pain in his body. He just cannot pinpoint exactly which part.
Can you see this person? I want you to picture this person. Now imagine that person as your mother, or your father…or your best friend.
What is it in human beings that seeks what is moral and immoral? Is
it in our minds or in our hearts? Let us find it in our hearts to allow terminally-ill patients who are experiencing excruciating pain to live their life without the fear of a painful death hanging over them. Let us allow them to die with some semblance of dignity.
At some point, we must all depart from this world. I believe that by nature, people are not afraid to die. They are just afraid of what they might have to go through when they get there.
Note: Joeie Cuerpo is a grade 11 student of Corpus Christi Senior High School taking up Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS). He is the Associate Editor-in-Chief of Tambuli, the official student publication
of Corpus Christi School. Tech savvy, he led the first-ever victory of Corpus Christi School to the 2016 Division Schools Press Conference's Radio Broadcasting Competition where the team won Best in Technical Application, Best Infomercial, Best Radio Script, Best News Anchor, and Best News Presenter.