A Dutch doctor recounts the final moments of a couple who chose to end their lives together through euthanasia. The couple–Monique, 74, and Loes, 88– who had been together for 50 years, held hands as they uttered their last words of love.
“They kissed, said ‘thank you’ and ‘I love you.’ We looked at each other and said: ‘Are you ready girls?’. ‘Yes, let’s go,’ they replied,” Dr. Bert Keizer told AFP.
Monique suffered from dementia, while Loes battled a muscular disease. Their reliance on each other for an independent life made the decision to end their lives together all the more profound.
The doctor described the emotional intensity of the moment: “We injected the medication, a barbiturate, and they fell asleep immediately.”
The Netherlands, where the euthanasia took place, is one of the first European countries to legalize euthanasia, with strict regulations ensuring that patients are enduring unbearable suffering with no hope of improvement and that the decision to die is made freely and after careful consideration.
The couple’s decision, termed “couple’s euthanasia,” is exceptionally rare, with stringent conditions requiring both individuals to meet the criteria for euthanasia independently. Yet, the number of couples opting for this procedure is on the rise.
“In 2021, 16 couples died this way. In 2018, there were nine,” Keizer noted, highlighting a growing trend.
For Monique and Loes, their choice was deeply personal and deeply rooted in their love for each other. “I can’t live without Monique,” said Loes, to which Monique replied, “And I depend on you. So let’s go together.”