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Seconds before the scheduled end of her life, a young Dutch woman named Romy, age 22, changed her mind about proceeding with voluntary euthanasia. Romy, who had struggled with clinical depression, eating disorders, and the lasting impact of childhood abuse, had decided to pursue euthanasia under Dutch law, which permits assisted dying in specific circumstances, according to Daily Mail.
Romy had campaigned for years, from the age of 18, to secure her right to die through voluntary assisted dying (VAD), pleading her case with doctors, officials, and family. Her struggles led her to seek VAD as a way to escape her profound suffering. However, in 2023, as she lay in a hospital bed in Leiden, preparing to undergo the final steps, a sudden wave of doubt changed the course of her life.
Earlier that day, she had seen the coffin that was prepared for her, a sobering moment. Her mother sat by her side in the hospital room, while her brother waited outside in the garden. As the doctor explained the VAD process in detail, Romy’s heart began to pound, and she grew apprehensive. The doctor, in compliance with Dutch law, asked one last question: “Are you sure?”
In that intense, final moment, Romy, whose last name has been withheld, felt a surge of uncertainty. She began to cry, and her mother joined her. Overcome with emotion, she decided to stop the process and chose to live.
“I Don’t Regret the Journey”: Romy’s New Chapter
After initially backing out, Romy once again requested euthanasia but postponed the procedure at the insistence of her psychiatrist, family, and friends. With the support of her loved ones, she chose to continue trauma therapy. Now, she expresses gratitude for her second chance, saying, “I don’t regret the journey. Because I’ve been so close to death, I see life as something valuable. It won’t always go well, but I now know there is light at the end of the tunnel,” she shared with Dutch outlet NRC.
Today, Romy studies for a diploma in adult education and lives in communal assisted living. Reflecting on her new life, she laughed when asked what brings her joy: “This is going to sound crazy: I genuinely enjoyed paying rent. It gives my life meaning.” told by New York Post.
Euthanasia in the Netherlands and Beyond
The Netherlands was the first country to legalize euthanasia in 2001. The process is tightly regulated, allowing euthanasia for individuals who “earnestly and with full conviction” experience unbearable suffering without any possibility of improvement. In 2023, more than five percent of deaths in the country were attributed to euthanasia, with most cases involving a doctor-administered lethal injection.
Meanwhile, VAD is legal in all Australian states, with varying criteria, and is set to become legal in the Australian Capital Territory by November 2025. However, eligibility excludes those with only mental illness or disability, emphasizing advanced illness and enduring suffering as qualifying factors.
