Euthanasia ... Part 3 - A STORY.

The McLeans

The McLeans immigrated to Canada from the UK in the early 1960s.

At that time, there were only two of them - Harold and Jeannie. They were both in their early 20s and had just married.

Harold and Jeannie settled in Ottawa, Canada's Capital City, in it's Rural West End which was still rugged and underpopulated.  They hired themselves out as farm hands on the O'Brien Farm and worked from sun-up to sun-down for the next several years.

They squirreled away their nickles and dimes until they were able to buy a 100 acre piece of rock-scrabble and through the 70s and 80s eked out a living.  They were proud though since for the first time in their lives they owned their own property - save for the mortgage owed to the Bank.

By now there 4 more - 2 girls and 2 boys named, Patricia, Brigitte, Sean and little Bill.  Little Bill was the youngest and sadly had suffered brain damage at birth.  He would always go by the name 'Little' despite the fact that he eventually tipped the scales at over 250 lbs. and grew to some six foot two inches in height.

Early in the new millennia the father, Harold, died of heart attack the doctors summing it up best when they said Harold simply worked himself to death. But he died happy or so family and friends had said.

The two daughters and the healthy son were by now off on their own but due to Little Bill's "slowness" he remained at home, on the farm, with his mum.

Jeannie and Little Bill struggled to get by on her small government pensions and with the help from neighbours and friends. Fortunately, Harold held sufficient life insurance so when he died in 2001, there was enough money to pay off the mortgage.

In any event, Jeannie didn't count her blessings by how much money she had.. rather she basked in the joy of life on the farm with her Little Bill. 

And truth be told, Jennie was not poor.  Indeed she was a multi-millionaire.

Although she and Harold had paid but $5,000 for their farm in 1969, by the turn of the century it was worth in the million of dollars given that the City of Ottawa had expanded westward and subdivisions were springing up all around them.

Hardly a month went by without a realtor driving down their lane with an offer...the most recent of which was for $3.2 Million.

Her three healthy kids were constantly at her to sell... especially Sean - the oldest - who had experienced several bad business investments. But as Jeannie so aptly put it - Little Bill and I are happy here - why would we ever move.

But as the new century progressed Jennie's health began to deteriorate.  Not her physical health - she was still strong as a horse - but mentally she was getting more and more frail.

Early Dementia, the Doctors called it.

By 2016 she had lost interest in cooking, cleaning and the like and of course did not have the finances at hand to bring in help. But Little Bill did the best he could to fill the void and Brigitte and especially Patricia visited their mother often to help with the household duties.

It was at this point that Sean called a meeting of his two sisters to take place at the family farm.  He said they were going to confront their mother once and for all and demand that she sell the farm.

The meeting took place on a Saturday morning in May.  The four of them sat around the old oak kitchen table...Little Bill was down at the creek playing with his new puppy dog 'Spot'.

Sean led off by giving example after example of how his mother's mental health was failing.  He then, threw open the floor to his two sisters both of whom had their own examples of their mother's infirmity.  

At this point, Sean asked his mother to reply.

She did not - she had retreated into herself and simply looked defeated.  Patricia took Jeannie off to bed.

When Patricia returned Sean laid out what he was really thinking. Euthanasia Laws had come into being and he pointed out that "sad cases like our mother are exactly what these laws are intended to address".

Patricia wisely pointed out that Little Bill would not be able to function without his mom while Brigitte noted that none of them were in any position to take care of him.

Sean though once again had the answer.  Olde Doc down the road had often told their parents that Little Bill should never have been allowed to live after birth.  Doc had said, "we should have just left him on the table to starve".

Patricia was shocked.  Brigitte kept her own counsel and did not express concern.

Patricia broke the silence, "what about Little Bill's new puppy?"

Again Sean came though with an easy answer, "we'll just put it down too with mum and Bill."

So that was that.

Death came to all three without service or even a notice in the local paper.

A few days after the 'event' Sean received a telephone call from the Crematorium advising that the ashes of his mother and brother were ready for pick-up by the family.  Sean told the caller the family had no need for the ashes and instructed him to dispose of them in the usual fashion. (Whatever that meant - but it seemed to Sean that it had a particular air of finality to it.)

Over the next many months Sean and his sisters would meet to receive updates from Sean as to how the wind-up of the Estate was going.  It had taken longer than Sean had wanted but throughout he kept his eye on the bottom-line - that is to say how much money would remain for the three of them to share once legal, court, real estate fees had been paid and the necessary taxes submitted.

The most recent such meeting proved somewhat awkward when Sean had said to Patricia that she looked peeked, "are you feeling okay?"

Upon hearing this Patricia's stomach turned, while Brigitte looked away embarrassed. 

Perhaps one or more were all thinking - that A Three Way Split is Fine...a Two Way Split is Better..while a One Way Split is Best.

Unless of course you are not the survivor.

They certainly were not thinking about Jeannie, nor Little Bill, nor even his new puppy Spot.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

Part 2 of 3 ...For The Non-Believers.

I continue with my 3 series Blog on Convenient Dying.

Now for the Non-Believers.

Pretty hard to argue with you guys - if you do not believe in an after-life why would you want anything to do with suffering and why wouldn't you want to pull the plug or have someone else do it for you if the going got tough.

You are headed for oblivion anyway, so if you speeded up the process ... so be it.

I saw an article in the paper the other day with the front page devoted to a chap who has ALS... a fatal disease.  His wife was feeding him though a tube because he had lost the ability to swallow.

Despite this, she looked quite chipper as did he.

There was nothing wrong with his mind but in the scheme of Euthanasia I guess that is not really a big factor for those who believe they are headed into perpetual darkness anyway.

Compus or not; if the suffering is too great then that's the end of the story.  At least your story.

But is it?

A few questions for you:

If, as you believe, life ends forever when you take your last breath is it not unfair of you to leave your family and friends prematurely?  After-all we are not on earth for a long time so why purposely shorten it.

Is it not selfish of you to deny your family members and friends who provide you care the opportunity to continue to provide it until death is natural.  Think how good they feel knowing they did all in their power to make your last days comfortable and a fulfilling as they possibly could.

And is it not extremely selfish of you to have doctors complicit in your death?  Why should they have your death on their hands?

Why would you not consider alternatives to assisted dying such as Hospice and Palliative Care?  Pain control and enjoyment of your time remaining is their focus?

Are you and I not superior to the other animals here on earth?  Are we to put people down as if they were a sick cat or dog?

If you pull the plug for whatever reason, do you not realize that it will be easier for the next pull of the plug and the next one after that?  No wonder the disabled fear Euthanasia.

Be Brave And Never Surrender To Your Fears.

And If You Do Not Do That For Yourself....Do It For Others.

Finally, you might be pleasantly surprised to find out that on the other-side of Darkness there is Light.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

Pt. 3 Next...A Story.

A THREE PARTER ... Pt. 1: For The True Believers.

This past weekend, my wife and I along with friends attended a lecture organized by Doctors against Euthanasia.

In particular, these Doctors are concerned that their moral right not to assist patients wishing to commit suicide will be disavowed by our ever-more secular governments. 

In other words, they will be forced to commit murder or lose their registrations.

In the past, these Doctors have taken comfort and sustenance from their Hippocratic Oath which Medical Schools have incorporated into their graduation ceremonies for well over 500 years:

 I will apply therapeutic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability 
and judgment, and will abstain from harm and wrongdoing. I will not give a lethal 
drug to anyone requesting it, nor will I recommend the use of such. 

The Oath, like the Doctors themselves are now under attack.


The Night's guest speaker was the World Renowned 

Philosopher - Dr. Peter Kreeft from Boston University.


Before I get to Dr. Kreeft and his message I would like to 

Stake out what I see as the bottom-line in-regard to 

Euthanasia for those of us who Believe in a Higher Power, 

that is to say - God.


Simply stated, we believe that the Creator created us - that

life is therefore sacred and only God should be the decider 

as to when our time here on earth is ended. 



Doctor Kreeft, while adhering to the sacredness of life, adds 

another dimension; 'suffering' as an important part of life in 

general and in death specifically.


Indeed, he points out that Suffering permeates all 

dimensions of our lives - emotional, mental and physical;  

without suffering we would lose our ability to earn a place 

in Heaven. 


For those of us who are Christian there is no better example 

of this than Christ's death upon the Cross.  Had he not

suffered for the redemption of our sins, his Crucifixion

would be meaningless, there had to be Sacrifice.

Better to have just come down off the Cross and smite his 
persecutors.  


In light of this Suicide or assisted suicide are really very

selfish acts. It not only devalues your own life but denies your

family and friends of the chance to rise above their own daily 

preoccupations and to sacrifice themselves by doing

good for others. 


It also makes killers out of Doctors. 



Believers do not condemn those who may take these paths;

we do though condemn the act.


Plus there are excellent alternatives such as Hospice and 

Palliative Care.  There is no excuse given the advances in

Medical Care that anyone need experience unendurable 

pain or other suffering. 

 
As We Believers See It...


'K.D. Galagher'


Pt 2 The Non-Believers next.