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March 2019

March 28, 2019
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Hamilton woman with terminal condition explains why she opposes euthanasia bill

By | Recent News, Videos

NZ Herald 28 March 2019
Family First Comment: The stories and concerns that highlight the danger of legalising assisted suicide.
#DefendNZ
Protect.org.nz

“There is literally a piece of my DNA that is missing, so there’s no cure.

“Kylee Black has a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome which is terminal, yet, she is opposed to the End of Life Choice Bill.

Her joints dislocated often with the medical condition affecting her joints, ligaments, tendons, skin, blood vessels and internal organs.Because her joints don’t work as they should, Black relies heavily on other people to help her maintain a fulfilling life.

Along with regular human assistance, she relies on a number of medications and has received many surgeries to keep her body functioning.

The 32-year-old is opposed to the End of Life Choice Bill because she feels people like herself would be pressured to consider assisted dying.

“I have difficult days and those days I don’t need to be confronted with easily accessible death,” she said.

“If assisted suicide is legal it would be legal to promote it. I don’t want to be triggered by assisted suicide ads or flyers.

“I have multiple specialists and go to hospital many times a year. I know my care costs a lot of money. But I also know I contribute to society.

“Black has revealed all in a mini-documentary created by the movement called #DefendNZ which opposes the End of Life Choice Bill.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?objectid=12216909&ref=twitter

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March 11, 2019
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Dame Tariana Turia joins campaign against David Seymour’s euthanasia Bill

By | Recent News

NewsHub 10 March 2019
Family First Comment: DefendNZ is a series of documentaries featuring people with a terminal illness or disability.
The campaign includes the voices of community leaders, like Former Associate Health Minister Dame Tariana Turia. “No one ever said to me ‘I want to be assisted to die’, they want to be assisted to live.” https://www.defendnz.co.nz/ 
#rejectassistedsuicide 
www.protect.org.nz

Dame Tariana Turia has added her voice to those opposing euthanasia in a campaign launched on Sunday.

It comes ahead of a second vote on David Seymour’s End of Life Choice Bill.

Hamilton woman Kylee Black lives with a rare connective-tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

“There is literally a piece of my DNA missing, so there is no cure,” she said.

She features in a campaign called ‘Defend New Zealand’, which raises the concerns of those with terminal illnesses and disabilities about the pressure euthanasia may put on them.

“All of a sudden I feel like well, maybe, I have to make that decision.”

The campaign includes the voices of community leaders, like Former Associate Health Minister Dame Tariana Turia.

“No one ever said to me ‘I want to be assisted to die’, they want to be assisted to live.”

Voices for and against euthanasia have already been heard in a record 37,000 submissions made to Parliament on the End of Life Bill.
READ MORE: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/03/dame-tariana-turia-joins-campaign-against-david-seymours-euthanasia-bill.html

Anti-euthanasia group launches documentary series
NewsHub 10 March 2019
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/03/anti-euthanasia-group-launches-documentary-series.html
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March 7, 2019
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What’s happened in Oregon since euthanasia was introduced?

By | Recent News

Oregon 2018 assisted suicide report. A record number of assisted deaths.
Alex Schadenberg blog – Euthanasia Prevention Coalition  3 March 2019
Family First Comment: Hint: It’s not pretty – and sends a clear warning to NZ

The 2018 Oregon annual assisted suicide report is similar to prior years. The report implies that the deaths were voluntary (self-administered), but the information in the report does not address that subject.

According to the 2018 Oregon assisted suicide report.

  • There were 168 reported assisted suicide deaths up from 158 in 2017.  When published, the 2017 report claimed that 143 people died by assisted suicide, 15 fewer than the actual number of death.
  • 168 of 169 people who reportedly ingested lethal drugs in 2018, died from it, one person survived and died of natural causes.
  • 11 of the deaths, the lethal drugs were prescribed in previous years.
  • 3 of the patients were referred for a psychological or psychiatric evaluation.
  • 2 physicians were referred to the Oregon Medical Board for failure to comply with the law.
  • The time of death ranged from 9 minutes to 14 hours. When dying from DCMP2, death took on average 2 hours, with the longest time taking 21 hours.
  • In 2018 one person died 807 days (more than 2 years and 2 months) after requesting assisted death.
  • 43 people received lethal prescriptions, but their “ingestion” status is unknown.
  • There were 249 lethal prescriptions obtained, up from 218 in 2017.
There may be more assisted suicide deaths.

According to the 2018 Oregon report, the ingestion status was unknown in 43 deaths. Last year the report stated that 143 people died by assisted suicide but then revised the report to state that 158 people died by assisted suicide.

When the ingestion status is unknown, it is possible that the person died by assisted suicide. Some or all of these deaths may represent unreported assisted deaths.
Oregon politicians debating expanding the eligibility criteria in the Oregon assisted suicide act.

Recently the Oregon suicide lobby stated that they intend to expand the definitions in the assisted suicide law.

Oregon House Bill HB 2232 proposes to change the definition of terminal from a six month prognosis to:

a disease that will, within reasonable medical judgment, produce or substantially contribute to a patient’s death.

Many people who are not “terminally” ill have a disease that will, within reasonable medical judgement, produce or substantially contribute to death. When considering the OHA inclusion of refusing medical treatment, this new definition enables wide-open assisted suicide.

Oregon Senate Bill SB 0579 enables a physician to wave the 15 waiting period when prescribing lethal drugs for suicide. The current Oregon assisted suicide law requires a 15 day waiting period. SB 0579 states:

Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, if the qualified patient’s attending physician has medically confirmed that the qualified patient will, within reasonable medical judgment, die before the expiration of at least one of the waiting periods described in subsection (1) of this section, the prescription for medication under ORS 127.800 to 127.897 may be written at any time following the later of the qualified patient’s written request or second oral request under ORS 127.840.

By waving the 15 day waiting period, a person can be approved for assisted suicide and die the next day.
Oregon Health authority has an expanded definition of terminal.

In December 2017, Fabian Stahle, a Swedish researcher who is concerned about assisted suicide, communicated by email with a representative of the Oregon Health Authority.

Stahle confirmed that the definition of terminal illness, used by the Oregon Health Authority includes people who may become terminally ill if they refuse effective medical treatment.

The responses to Stahle from the Oregon Health Authority also confirmed that there is no effective oversight of the Oregon assisted suicide law.

The yearly Oregon DWD reports are based on data from the physicians who prescribe and carry-out the assisted suicide death and the data is not independently verified. Therefore, we don’t know if the information from these reports is accurate or if abuse of the law occurs.
https://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/2019/03/oregon-2018-assisted-suicide-report.html?utm_source=Euthanasia+Prevention+Coalition+Contacts&utm_campaign=c16a1cb9ca-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_03_04_07_06_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_105a5cdd2d-c16a1cb9ca-157142057

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