Report: Twin deaf brothers going blind undergo euthanasia

A court reportedly granted deaf identical twin brothers from Belgium who were about to lose their sight the right to legal euthanasia.

A UZ Brussel hospital spokesperson told Reuters that a doctor administered the lethal injections to 45-year-old twins named Marc and Eddy Verbessem. They had said they wanted to die because they "could no longer bear being unable to hear or see the other."

In order to be allowed to pursue euthanasia, patients in Belgium -- where euthanasia has been legal since 2002 -- must be sound of judgment and must repeatedly and overwhelmingly emphasize their voluntarily want to die, Reuters reported. They must also be suffering persistent and unbearable physical or mental pain beyond physical help, and the illness must be serious and incurable and brought on by sickness or injury.

Despite euthanasia being legal in the country, this case caught the attention of the media because the two brothers were not terminally ill or close to the end of their lives.

"Unbearable suffering can be mental as well as physical," the hospital spokesman said. "The brothers were inseparable. They lived together and had the same job."

The brothers were first turned down by their local hospital and the process took two years before they gained legal approval for euthanasia.

Dr. David Dufour, the doctor for the twins, told the Telegraph that that they had congenital deafness and were soon to be fully blind due to a genetic form of glaucoma. In addition, they had other "severe" medical problems.

"All that together made life unbearable," said Dufor. "I have been very surprised but there is so much interest and debate about this."

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The Telegraph reported that the brothers communicated with each other and their immediate family using a special sign language they developed.

"They lived together, did their own cooking and cleaning. You could eat off the floor," Dirk Verbessem, the twins' brother, said to the Telegraph. "Blindness would have made them completely dependent. They did not want to be in an institution."

Dirk added that although the family was opposed to the request to die, they eventually came around and supported the fact that the twins should be allowed to make their own decision.

"I tried to talk them out of it even at the last moment," Dirk said. "Together with my parents, I said goodbye. Marc and Eddy waved again at us. 'Up in the sky,' they said. 'Up in the sky,' we replied. And then it was over."

[RevJimBenson]

I have a certain amount of God given sovereignty. I am allowed by society to make decisions for myself as long as they do not infringe or endanger others. What if the quality of life is experienced by caring about others more than myself? What if joy is gleaned by facing a trial and realizing the Creator provided peace that passed human understanding? What if I am accountable for the short life I have on this earth? As much as we sometimes think we are an island unto ourselves, we influence so many. The greater the challenges, the greater the influence.

[DigoPogo]

Helen Keller certainly had quality of life, and made a huge impact on the entire world. These guys were too cowardly to play the hand dealt them.

[extremecenter]

How dare you call these two men cowardly. First everybody is different in the way they handle tragedy. Helen Keller was 19 months when she went blind and deaf. That is all she knew. These poor men were 45 and now have to adjust to being blind on top of being deaf? Are you blind or deaf? To make people go on and suffer unbearably is cruel and inhuman. You might feel the same way if that were you. Don't judge people unless you walk in their paths because you might be suprised that you would feel more similar than expected.

[Zpeterson]

This right to die is so important and only hope that the US will adopt it country wide. It is legal in Oregon and Washington. The comment that they are 45 not 95 is a thoughtless statement. What quality of life is there without the ability to see or hear. I would encourage you to watch the documentary How To Die in Oregan. You can watch it on amazon instant It was on HBO, but not sure if it is still there.
Go spend time in a nursing home, or spend time auctioning the stoma of an encephalopadic patient. Your opinion on quality of life might change.

[jmrtsus]

How sad and touching...

[sweetlife007]

Sad that the doctor agreed to this utter nonsense! They were 45 not 95! Ridiculous.

[gjc1n1]

Age has absolutely nothing to do with the willingness to live. It should be a reflection of one's physical and/or mental ability to continue living. The twins sound a lot more intelligent about their legal right to choose euthanasia than most people. I hope that they are happier in heaven.

[omnibus66]

To SWEETLIFE007

Does my life belong to me or to you? On the outside chance that you should agree that I have the right to make decisions for myself without your intervention, let me suggest that the only ridiculous thing here is your comment.