Gina Heslop
Zoraya ter Beek, a 28-year-old woman from the Netherlands, has made a decision to end her life through euthanasia despite being physically healthy. Euthanasia is a controversial practice where a person’s life is intentionally ended to relieve suffering.
Zoraya lives in a small village near the German border and is in good physical health. However, she has been struggling with depression, autism, and borderline personality disorder. These conditions have made life unbearable for her, and she feels that she no longer wishes to continue living.
Zoraya’s psychiatrist has informed her that her conditions are unlikely to improve, and there are no further treatment options available to alleviate her suffering. As a result, Zoraya has made the difficult decision to choose euthanasia as an end to her pain.
In the Netherlands, euthanasia is legal under specific circumstances. Patients must be experiencing unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement. They must also request euthanasia earnestly and with full conviction. However, patients do not have an absolute right to euthanasia, and doctors are not obligated to perform it.
Zoraya plans to undergo euthanasia on her sofa and wishes to be cremated afterward so her boyfriend does not have to tend to a grave. She acknowledges that she is afraid of dying because it is unknown what comes after, but she sees it as a release from her current suffering rather than her soul departing.
Her decision has sparked discussions online, with some supporting her choice as her right to decide over her own body, while others express concern and opposition to what they see as a premature end to a young and healthy life.
