Transexual Man Chooses Death After Surgery

[pdogg]

 

 A trans man has chosen to be killed after his body rejected surgery to complete his transition.

Nathan Verhelst, 44, from Belgium, said he had ‘unbearable psychological suffering’ and asked a doctor to euthanize him.

On Monday afternoon (30 September), he died from a lethal injection.

Back in 2009, Verhelst started hormone therapy and had a mastectomy. Last year, he underwent surgery to construct a penis.

But when he looked in the mirror, his body was rejecting the surgery.

‘None of these operations worked as desired,’ Verhelst told a Belgian newspaper, hours before he went to die.

‘I was ready to celebrate my new birth, but when I looked in the mirror, I was disgusted with myself.

‘My new breasts did not match my expectations and my new penis had symptoms of rejection.

‘I did not want to be a monster.’

The man who carried out the lethal injection was Professor Wim Distelmans, a controversial figure who last year ended the lives of deaf twins who were going blind. Euthanasia is legal in Belgium as long as certain conditions are met.

Verhelst informed his family of his decision to die in a letter. ‘I had happy times, but the balance is on the wrong side,’ he said.

He recalled how his mother had loved his brothers, but appeared to hate him because he was born in the body of a girl.

‘While my brothers were celebrated,’ he said, ‘I got a storage room above the garage as a bedroom.

‘My mother complained, “If only you had been a boy”.’

Verhelst’s mother confirmed she had not wanted him.

‘When I saw [Nathan’s birth name] for the first time, my dream was shattered. She was so ugly. I had a phantom birth. Her death does not bother me,’ his mother told Het Laatste Nieuws newspaper.

‘I will definitely read the letter but it will be full of lies.

‘For me, this chapter is closed. Her death does not bother me. I feel no sorrow, no doubt or remorse. We never had a bond.'

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/trans-man-chooses-death-after-botched-surgical-transition021013

 

 

[soiboy]

This is a very troubling case. This person was clearly psychologically disturbed and did not get the proper counseling/pharmaceutical help he needed, both before and after SRS. Shame on his health care providers. And, I'm sure this particular case of assisted suicide was not the intent of Belgian law with regard to euthanasia. Assisted suicide is sure to be more and more discussed, at least in the US, as the baby boomers get older. I hate to see situations like this because opponents of assisted suicide will use it to mock the very idea.

[rxpharm]

This is a tragic case, and I agree with soiboy - what's even worse is that it happened in a so called "developed" country, Belgium. This case illustrates some very poor medical treatment and what happens when the slippery slope of euthanasia has been crossed.

 

The doctor who treated this patient should be under review and have his medical license suspended if the patient did not under proper screening and psychological counseling prior to and post  surgery. If the patient had counseling, they should have immediately picked up on the problems caused by the family situation.

 

Soiboy's last sentence is sobering - as letting people ask for euthanasia for simply depression is clearly not right - but in countries that have passed laws allowing it, it's becoming more frequent.

[Rukki]

This is very sad indeed. 

 

But after reading these quotes, I think the mother should be euthanized.

 

He recalled how his mother had loved his brothers, but appeared to hate him because he was born in the body of a girl.

‘While my brothers were celebrated,’ he said, ‘I got a storage room above the garage as a bedroom.

‘My mother complained, “If only you had been a boy”.’

Verhelst’s mother confirmed she had not wanted him.

‘When I saw [Nathan’s birth name] for the first time, my dream was shattered. She was so ugly. I had a phantom birth. Her death does not bother me,’ his mother told Het Laatste Nieuws newspaper.

‘I will definitely read the letter but it will be full of lies.

‘For me, this chapter is closed. Her death does not bother me. I feel no sorrow, no doubt or remorse. We never had a bond.'