One of the most
eloquent voices on euthanasia in Australia is Dr Erik Leipoldt, a quadriplegic who is a lecturer at
the Centre for Research into
Disability and Society at Curtin University of Technology, in Western Australia.
Alarmed at the prospect of legalized euthanasia, Dr Leipoldt has written a very
persuasive essay in Australian Policy Online arguing that legalization would hurt
the disabled most. As he points out, the aged and disabled – who are to be the
“beneficiaries” – often feel very differently about their lives.
As an example, he
cites the experience of John Moxon:
In 1966 I had
just started to race cars. My mate’s girl friend was a trainee physiotherapist
getting work experience in the spinal injury unit at Royal North Shore
Hospital. Over coffee (or maybe tea, back then) she shared with us the effects
of a spinal cord injury – paralysis, skin problems, breathing problems, urinary
incontinence and infections, bowel incontinence, etc. We also got to learn that
maybe someone else might need to attend to many of those personal issues.And I can
remember quite clearly saying “well if that happened to me, I’d rather not
survive the accident. No one could live like that.” I was so sure.When four years
later, I crashed and broke my neck – I changed my mind immediately. And not for
one moment since my accident have I ever wanted to die because of my
disability. I’m now 72 and living a full and very enjoyable life. I’ve made it
quite clear that I want to hang on forever. No euthanasia for me.
Dr Leipoldt
comments: “Such accounts of lives lived with significant disability are not
isolated and are typical, not the exception, including for respirator-dependent
people with quadriplegia.”
For the full force
of his argument, read the essay.
