The case of Brazilian poet and composer António Cicero, who died through euthanasia last week in Switzerland, has rekindled the debate in South America's largest country on whether such a practice should be legalized, Agencia Brasil reported Sunday. Dear friends, I find myself in Switzerland, on the verge of euthanasia. The thing is, my life has become unbearable.
I'm suffering from Alzheimer's...
, wrote the 79-year-old Cicero in his posthumous letter. I hope to have lived with dignity and I hope to die with dignity, he also noted Wednesday before carrying on with the procedure in a country where assisted suicide is permitted. His case rekindled the debate on euthanasia, assisted suicide, and the dignity of death for people who could not afford a trip abroad to end their lives.
Veterinary student Carolina Arruda, 27, from the town of Bambuí (MG), has suffered since she was 16 from trigeminal neuralgia, a disease that affects the nerves in the face and causes intense pain, described by health professionals as so strong that it is impossible to ignore. Even in a painful and complex scenario, she campaigned for funds to carry out assisted suicide in Switzerland. Living with this unbearable pain, Carolina estimates that she would need more than R$ 200,000 (around US$ 35,000) to make the procedure possible.
My dream is still to see my daughter graduate. She's still 10 years old. That's why she doesn't know if it will be possible.
My life routine today is practica.