Don't back path of no return, says quadriplegic
Legalising euthanasia may put pressure on ailing and handicapped people to choose death to avoid becoming a burden on society and their families, the Society for the Promotion of Hospice Care and the Direction Association for the Handicapped say.
After quadriplegic Tang Siu-pun, better known as Ah Bun, repeated his call for legalised euthanasia last month, the two organisations hosted a forum yesterday at which they urged the government to put more resources into palliative services for the terminally ill and helping handicapped people lead as normal a life as possible.
The forum also follows the death on Friday of 107-year-old Leung Hau, who hanged herself. She had reportedly told her 87-year-old son, with whose family she shared a flat in Yau Ma Tei, that she wanted to die so that she would not be a burden to them.
The chairman of the Direction Association for the Handicapped, Sam Lee Yuan-tai, who became a quadriplegic after a diving accident 24 years ago, said he was worried that legalising euthanasia might put pressure on the sick and handicapped to commit suicide, as they might be worried about becoming a burden to society and their families.
'The first moment when I woke up and found myself paralysed, I felt very helpless and lost all my hope for the future. There were only a few psychological and rehabilitative aids to help me,' Mr Lee said.
'Luckily, as I met other handicapped people and received more support from society in the later days, I walked out of my hard time and have regained a joyful life. I am grateful that I didn't die.' He said if euthanasia had been legal he might have chosen to die, which he thought would be a big mistake.