Colombian woman dies by euthanasia after historic legal fight

MEDELLÍN, Colombia — A 51-year-old Colombian pistillate died by euthanasia connected Saturday aft a historical ineligible conflict to workout the close successful this majority-Catholic country.

The lawsuit of Martha Sepúlveda drew planetary attraction past twelvemonth erstwhile she planned to go the archetypal idiosyncratic successful Colombia without a terminal prognosis to dice by legally authorized euthanasia. But little than 2 days earlier she planned to dice successful October, a aesculapian committee canceled the process aft determining that she nary longer met the conditions. A justice yet cleared the mode for Sepúlveda to determination forward.

On Saturday, the parent and devout Catholic died “according to her thought of autonomy and dignity,” her lawyers said successful a connection from the enactment representing her, the Laboratory of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (DescLAB). The process was carried retired successful Medellín without obstacles oregon barriers, they said.

“Martha near grateful to each of the radical who accompanied and supported her, those who prayed for her and had words of empathy and emotion during these hard months,” the connection said. “Martha’s bequest is built connected the beingness stories and cases that implicit 29 years person reached the Constitutional Court and person allowed Colombia to beryllium 1 of the fewer countries successful the satellite wherever decease with dignity and euthanasia are a close of citizens.”

Colombia was 1 of the archetypal countries successful the satellite to decriminalize euthanasia; its law tribunal recognized the close successful 1997. But for galore years, the state lone extended the close to patients with a terminal prognosis of six months oregon less.

Sepúlveda suffered from the progressive neurological illness amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), known successful the United States arsenic Lou Gehrig’s disease. After being diagnosed successful November 2018, she began to suffer power of the muscles successful her legs, to unrecorded successful changeless symptom and to fearfulness a aboriginal that would lone get worse. Euthanasia offered her an flight from further suffering, her household and lawyers said.

Although ALS is simply a fatal illness with nary cure, patients tin past anyplace from 2 to 10 years oregon much depending connected however their conditions progress. So erstwhile Sepúlveda archetypal sought retired euthanasia, her prognosis did not suffice arsenic “terminal.”

But successful July, the country’s law tribunal ruled that the close applies not lone to terminal patients but besides to those with “intense carnal oregon intelligence suffering from bodily wounded oregon superior and incurable disease.” The determination allowed Sepúlveda to docket her euthanasia for Oct. 10.

As her communicative circulated successful Colombian quality successful aboriginal October, her determination drew a rebuke from section religion leaders. A subordinate of the nationalist bishops’ league urged Sepúlveda to “calmly reflect” connected her determination and invited each Catholics to commune that God would assistance her mercy.

Then, successful an 11th-hour move, her euthanasia was abruptly canceled. The Colombian Institute of Pain, oregon Incodol, which had been scheduled to transportation retired the procedure, said Sepúlveda’s information had improved betwixt July and October. The committee recovered nary grounds gathering the requirements of degenerative, progressive and incurable illness, according to an mentation from the committee that was provided to The Washington Post by Sepúlveda’s lawyer.

Committee members based their determination astatine slightest successful portion connected media sum of Sepúlveda, who appeared connected tv smiling and laughing arsenic she dined astatine a section restaurant.

DescLAB, the instrumentality steadfast representing her, described the determination arsenic “illegitimate and arbitrary,” and 1 that violated Sepúlveda’s close to a “dignified death.”

After the astonishment decision, Sepúlveda and her household resolved to enactment soundless arsenic her lawyers took her lawsuit to the courts. After her appeal, a justice from Medellín ruled connected Oct. 27 that Sepúlveda was entitled to dice by euthanasia.

The justice confirmed that patients who endure aggravated carnal oregon intelligence suffering — with diseases specified arsenic Lou Gehrig’s — are legally allowed to entree euthanasia adjacent if their prognosis is not terminal, and that Sepúlveda’s wellness supplier was not justified successful its denial of her request.

The justice highlighted the deficiency of a cure oregon a aesculapian attraction to halt the progression of ALS and said Sepúlveda presented important grounds that her functional centrifugal abilities would lone worsen implicit time.

Neither the Ministry of Health nor Sepúlveda’s wellness supplier challenged the ruling, allowing Sepúlveda to reschedule her appointment.

On Friday, a time earlier Sepúlveda’s death, a antithetic Colombian diligent became the archetypal idiosyncratic without a terminal prognosis to dice by euthanasia. The patient, a antheral successful Cali named Victor Escobar, suffered from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

“The combat to instrumentality power implicit the extremity of beingness continues and volition not extremity until radical successful Colombia tin entree an assisted aesculapian decease according to their volition and without barriers,” the connection from Sepúlveda’s lawyers said.

Federico Redondo Sepúlveda, Martha’s lone child, posted a photo connected Twitter connected Thursday, 2 days earlier his mother’s death. In it, helium is pictured with his manus connected his mother’s shoulder, some of them laughing.

Before her death, Sepúlveda spoke astir her Catholic religion and her content that God would enactment her successful her decision.

“I cognize that God is the proprietor of life,” she told Colombia’s Caracol News. “But God doesn’t privation to spot maine suffer.”

And connected Saturday, successful the hours aft her death, Sepúlveda’s lad and household members joined to observe Mass — conscionable arsenic his parent wanted.