Mother 'not bothered' by death of her child
Published: 2013 October 03 06:41:45 (5644 Views)
A Belgian transsexual who was "disgusted" with his sex change operation has died by euthanasia, according to reports.
Nathan Verhelst, 44, who was born a woman named Nancy, chose to end his life with the assistance of a doctor, citing "unbearable psychological suffering." He died Monday afternoon.
Euthanasia is legal in Belgium, and the doctor who carried out Verhelst's euthanasia procedure, Wim Distelmans, also made headlines last December for euthanising a pair of deaf twins who were going blind.
Verhelst suffered years of emotional pain before and after his sex change operation, including a tormented childhood, he told Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.
"I was the girl that nobody wanted," he said. "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."
Verhelst's heartless mother agreed with his comments.
"When I saw 'Nancy' for the first time, my dream was shattered. She was so ugly. I had a phantom birth. Her death does not bother me," the unnamed mother told Het Laatste Nieuws following Verhelst's demise.
Verhelst began the woman-to-man sex change procedure with hormone therapy in 2009, and had a mastectomy and penis construction surgery in 2012, but "none of these operations worked as desired," he said.
"I was ready to celebrate my new birth," he continued. "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."
Physician-assisted suicide has been a controversial topic in Belgium since it was legalised in 2003. The country saw 1,432 euthanasia deaths in 2012, up 25% from 2011, according to The Telegraph.
In neighbouring country the Netherlands, where the practice is also legal, recent statistics show the number of people killed by euthanasia has more than doubled in the past 10 years with 4,188 reported deaths in 2012.
Most of those who request assisted suicide in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg - the only three European countries to allow it - are cancer patients, the same study showed. Nervous system disorders, heart disease and dementia are the next most prevalent conditions.
As assisted suicide becomes more socially accepted in these countries, concerns persist that some euthanasia deaths go unreported, while other cases present challenges in determining informed consent in patients with dementia or psychiatric problems.
Dr. Distelmans said Verhelst's request met the legal grounds of "unbearable psychological suffering."
"The choice of Nathan Verhelst has nothing to do with fatigue of life," Distelmans said, according to The Telegraph.
"There are other factors that meant he was in a situation with incurable, unbearable suffering.
Unbearable suffering for euthanasia can be both physical and psychological. This was a case that clearly met the conditions demanded by the law. Nathan underwent counselling for six months."
- NYDN
Nathan Verhelst, 44, who was born a woman named Nancy, chose to end his life with the assistance of a doctor, citing "unbearable psychological suffering." He died Monday afternoon.
Euthanasia is legal in Belgium, and the doctor who carried out Verhelst's euthanasia procedure, Wim Distelmans, also made headlines last December for euthanising a pair of deaf twins who were going blind.
Verhelst suffered years of emotional pain before and after his sex change operation, including a tormented childhood, he told Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.
"I was the girl that nobody wanted," he said. "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."
Verhelst's heartless mother agreed with his comments.
"When I saw 'Nancy' for the first time, my dream was shattered. She was so ugly. I had a phantom birth. Her death does not bother me," the unnamed mother told Het Laatste Nieuws following Verhelst's demise.
Verhelst began the woman-to-man sex change procedure with hormone therapy in 2009, and had a mastectomy and penis construction surgery in 2012, but "none of these operations worked as desired," he said.
"I was ready to celebrate my new birth," he continued. "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."
Physician-assisted suicide has been a controversial topic in Belgium since it was legalised in 2003. The country saw 1,432 euthanasia deaths in 2012, up 25% from 2011, according to The Telegraph.
In neighbouring country the Netherlands, where the practice is also legal, recent statistics show the number of people killed by euthanasia has more than doubled in the past 10 years with 4,188 reported deaths in 2012.
Most of those who request assisted suicide in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg - the only three European countries to allow it - are cancer patients, the same study showed. Nervous system disorders, heart disease and dementia are the next most prevalent conditions.
As assisted suicide becomes more socially accepted in these countries, concerns persist that some euthanasia deaths go unreported, while other cases present challenges in determining informed consent in patients with dementia or psychiatric problems.
Dr. Distelmans said Verhelst's request met the legal grounds of "unbearable psychological suffering."
"The choice of Nathan Verhelst has nothing to do with fatigue of life," Distelmans said, according to The Telegraph.
"There are other factors that meant he was in a situation with incurable, unbearable suffering.
Unbearable suffering for euthanasia can be both physical and psychological. This was a case that clearly met the conditions demanded by the law. Nathan underwent counselling for six months."
- NYDN
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