A couple of weeks ago, it could be more than a month, journalist Alexandros Velios appeared on our television screens. He had obviously lost weight. He told Greeks that was was suffering from an aggressive form of cancer and that he was planning to go to a clinic abroad that practices euthanasia.
This announcement, said in public, just like that, shocked Greeks. Talking with my friends, I was surprised to hear that many of them were not even aware that “assisted suicide” or “euthanasia” was possible thus under strict rules and ethics.
There was never a public discussion on this issue here. Velios made it happened.
Weeks passed and many forgot Velios, his suffering and his bold-brave plan.
Then today, Monday morning, we learned, that 63-year-old Velios had not gone abroad to that clinic. He chose to leave this world in his own home, taking his own life.
In a hand-written note that he also reads on a video uploaded on YouTube, Alexandros Velios explained that he chose the “non-assisted euthanasia” as he described it, after the last hospitalization “confirmed the rash and irreversible deterioration of his health.”
“It is just a matter of weeks…” he wrote adding that he lived in dignity and that he chooses to die in dignity and in full consciousness.
The note was dated “Sunday night, 4-9-16”.
Until the very last moment, I felt uncomfortable about this human tragedy. To tell you the truth, I never understood his motive to go public with his suffering and in insisting to talk about “euthanasia”. He even wrote a book about it.
Maybe my own discomfort had to do with the fact that I personally consider this Greek society as immature to deal with such an issue. Comments and questions about euthanasia by some of my friends, when Velios brought up the issue, had really very often left me speechless.
I cannot write about these comments and questions here, because I consider these things ‘dangerous’ when are not handled with knowledge and care.
I am too sensitive when it comes to take decisions on life or death.
Rest in Peace, Alexandre!
You shocked me to the very end…
A very brace decision , especially in a closed minded (you called it immature) society like Greece .
End of life care in Greece is woefully lacking both in adequate pain relief and compassion. His brave decision to take matters into his own hands undoubtedly saved him from a great deal of suffering.