What are the limits?

Yesterday I listened to a rerun of the CBC Radio 1 program: White Coat, Black Arts with Dr Brian Goldman. His interview was with a man who has Huntington's disease and who has chosen to determine for himself when he will die.

Huntington's disease is as far as I understand it, an inherited disease and it's progress (if that is an apt word) is inexorable and the dying is horrible: the whole body and mind is, essentially, destroyed. This man's father had the same disease and the family lived through it with him, watching him suffer in ways 'you would not wish any living being to do'. So, when Nagy (I think that was his name) discovered that he too had the disease he made a decision that when the time came he would kill himself rather than inflict his suffering on his family or, indeed, himself.

Nagy discussed this with his wife, his doctor, his neurologist , his lawyer and some others so that it would be absolutely clear that this was his decision made in full understanding and that no one would have enabled him or assisted him. The reason he did this is that on the one hand, as I understand it, it is not illegal to commit suicide but it is illegal to help someone to do it.

It was clear that Dr Goldman was very conflicted about this decision as he discussed the interview he had had with Nagy. And yet, to listen to Nagy was to listen to someone who had an absolute and peaceful certainty that this was what he needed to do. Dr Goldman's conflict was, I suppose, what the majority of people might feel: is it right to deliberately and clear-sightedly take one's own life even in the face of awful and untreatable suffering? His neurologist said she felt that all she could do was to listen and to respect his decision. She would not make a recommendation to him except to let him know what treatment options she could offer.


I found myself deeply touched by this interview. I guess as a Catholic I should not support what he wants to do. I should say that to take our own life is not in our control; that somehow the suffering will bear good fruit. That God gives and God takes away - and only God. But...


I can't help thinking about the distinctions we make all the time: we allow millions of people to die of starvation even when we could help; we kill people in war; we fail to make sure that millions of people have what they need for a decent life. So I found myself asking as I listened: how is it then wrong to ask someone who will die soon and whose quality of life is unacceptable by any human standard, who will suffer unbearably, to choose her or his own time to die?   I don't know the answer but I think we need to ponder it more and more thoughtfully and carefully and lovingly.