In his fight for the right to die with dignity, Alain Cocq, 57, ceases all his treatments this Friday evening, at midnight.
The right to die with dignity has been a debate that has raged for years. Today, the name of Alain Cocq is present in all the media. The man has been suffering from an incurable disease linked to the circulation of the blood for 34 years, reports Le Point. And his only will is a right to leave. "I simply ask to leave with dignity, with active assistance from the medical profession.", he explained in a letter to Emmanuel Macron.
But the Élysée has made known its disagreement. Alain Cocq received, around 8:30 p.m. Thursday, a phone call announcing that his request (to obtain a dose of barbiturates so that he could die without suffering and not prolong his agony) was refused. "I have just had the presidency on the phone and that's a no", explained the patient to Le Figaro.
In a letter, the President of the Republic told him that he is "not above the law" and that he is not "in a position to comply with (his) request". “I cannot ask anyone to go beyond our current legal framework.” Https://www.aufeminin.com/ “Your wish is to request active assistance in dying which is not currently permitted in our country” , notes Emmanuel Macron. The latter says he is "very sensitive and admiring the incessant fights (…) conducted against the disease and its consequences". "I have heard the personal steps you want to take today, those which consist in refusing any relentless therapy. (…) With emotion, I respect your step."
On Facebook, Nathalie Kurtz, president of the association HANDI MAIS PAS QUE! wrote that "https://www.aufeminin.com/" Alain will therefore begin stopping his diet and hydration, as well as any treatment from Saturday, September 5, 2020 at 00:00. "
At Figaro, Alain Cocq indicates that his agony should last four to five days. In this gesture, he wants his fight to serve for the reform of the legislation concerning the end of life, thanks to a deep sedation to avoid the sufferings related to the end of the treatments. "I am no longer fighting for myself, but for others, those who will follow," he emphasizes.
An eternal battle between opinion and legislation
Since the Vincent Humbert affair (a young quadriplegic man who died with the help of his mother in 2019, after years of legal combat), associations have been campaigning for a law aimed at legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide and ensuring a universal access to palliative care.
As the Ministry of Health recalls, an end of life "refers to the last moments of life of a person arriving in the advanced or terminal phase of a serious and incurable disease / illness."
The French polling company, Ipsos, has identified the different forms of end of life:
-Active euthanasia, that is to say "the deliberate administration of lethal substances with the intention of causing death, at the request of the patient who wishes to die, or without his consent, by decision of a relative or the medical profession. "
-Assisted suicide, a patient "performs the fatal act himself, guided by a third party who previously provided him with the information."
-Indirect euthanasia, more precisely the administration of analgesics.
-Passive euthanasia, refusal or stopping of treatment necessary to maintain life.
The Association for the Right to Die with Dignity (ADMD) highlights the results of an Ipsos poll to Read the Policy. It is mentioned that 96% of French people are in favor of euthanasia. This should not be taken lightly.
What the law says ?
It was not until April 22, 2005, known as the Leonetti law, to have a specific legislative framework at the end of life. This law introduces "the prohibition of unreasonable obstinacy". Thus, patients have "the right to consider that a treatment constitutes for him an unreasonable obstinacy and can refuse it, even if this refusal can have vital consequences. He then has the right to benefit from palliative support.", can we read on the parlons-fin-de-vie.fr site.
On February 2, 2016, the Claeys-Leonetti law gives “new rights in favor of sick and dying people”. But the basis remains the same: the law does not allow euthanasia. However, there are new advance directives. The roles of the doctor and that of the person of trust are strengthened. The patient has the option of having access to deep sedation * and continues until his death. However, strict conditions frame this right: "the patient must suffer unbearably and his death must be recognized as inevitable and imminent. Access to this deep and continuous sedation until death is also conditioned by a procedural discussion. collegial body to verify that the patient's situation falls within the framework of the conditions provided for by law. ", informs parlons-fin-de-vie.
Be careful, deep sedation is different from euthanasia.
In some countries, active euthanasia is authorized, such as in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, in particular.
* "Deep and continuous sedation maintained until death (SPCMD) allows an alteration of consciousness which will be continued until death. Framed by law, it can be implemented on the initiative of professionals or on demand. of a patient, during specific situations, in a hospital establishment, at home or in an accommodation establishment for dependent elderly people. ", declared the Haute Autorité de Santé in January 2020.