On her 34th birthday, Jolanda Fun, a physically fit woman with mental health issues, said she planned to euthanise herself.
She told the Sunday Times that she wanted to become the country’s latest euthanasia victim.
According to the report, Jolanda is suffering from various mental health issues, including an eating disorder and recurrent depression.
She also reportedly has learning difficulties and autism. She said that despite having a small dog, her life is always full of pain.
In a Facebook post last year, Jolanda revealed that she was seeking a psychiatrist who would accompany her on her euthanasia journey. She said that she had been suffering from depression since she was seven. She admitted that she had been thinking about dying a lot.
In her post, Jolanda revealed that she had registered with a facility in the Netherlands that specializes in assisting in euthanasia.
She stated that during her first conversation with the center, it was clear that she did not want to continue using various treatments and medicines.
According to Jolanda, she was already at the point where she could no longer continue fighting. She posted the post on June 9, 2023, stating that she was tired of fighting. Almost a year later, she told the Times that she planned to end her life on April 25.
In her interview with the publication, Jolanda revealed that she wanted to end her life due to her parents’ deteriorating health conditions. She also stated that she had been thinking about committing suicide since she was seven. Despite having tried various forms of therapy, she said that her life was still full of pain.
Two years ago, Jolanda decided to take advantage of the country’s euthanasia laws, which allow people with mental health issues to end their lives. She explained that the process of getting the right to die was very strict.
In her interview with BBC, Jolanda stated that she was very happy that she could end her life with her loved ones at her side. She added that nobody would know that she was in an appalling state, and she did not end up with worse conditions than before. The Netherlands is among only a few European countries that allow assisted dying. According to rights groups, this practice allows people with terminal illnesses to have the dignity of dying at their own terms.
According to data, 9068 individuals in the Netherlands took their own lives in 2023. The number of cases involving doctor-assisted suicide has significantly increased between 2005 and 2023. This month, a young woman from the Netherlands opened up about her own experience with mental health issues.
According to Zoraya Ter Beek, a 28-year-old woman from the Netherlands, her various mental health issues have prevented her from living her life fully. She said that she was always clear that she wanted to die. She stated that she would be put to death on her sofa, and her boyfriend would be beside her.
People with mental health issues in the Netherlands are required to meet a number of conditions in order to end their lives. These include being mentally competent, having a long-standing desire for euthanasia, and knowing all the potential alternative treatments.
In order to end their lives, individuals with mental health issues need to confirm that they are mentally competent. They can only do so through specific guidelines that are specific to their conditions. According to a report by the Sunday Times, only around a small number of requests for euthanasia are carried out on psychiatric grounds.