The final approval for the medically assisted death of Zoraya ter Beek, a 29-year-old Dutch woman, was given last week. The young woman suffers from chronic depression, anxiety, trauma, autism and an unspecified personality disorder, and despite being in the process of obtaining this authorization for three and a half years, she 'only' revealed it last month.

After learning that she had 'the green light', Zoraya told the Guardian that her life should end in the coming weeks, and also pointed out that she did not always think this would be the end, namely, when she met her boyfriend. "But I continued to hurt myself and have suicidal thoughts".

The Netherlands became, in 2002, the first country in the world to legalize euthanasia. Since then, eight more countries have legalized the practice.

At first, "hope". But what about ten years later?

The young woman also said that she still underwent some treatments, and that at first "she had hope" and thought that "she would get better". "But as the treatments continued, I started to lose it", she said.

After ten intensive years in therapy, medication and electrical brain stimulation, Zoraya thought about ending her life, but was 'stopped' by the death of a school colleague, who took her own life. The impact of the suffering on her family made her rethink.

The process

The request for medically assisted death was made in December 2020, and the process has lasted until now. "I was on a waiting list for a long time to be assessed, because there are few doctors willing to participate in the assisted death of people with mental suffering. Then, we have to be assessed by a team, have a second opinion on our eligibility and their decision has to be reviewed by another independent doctor", she explained to the same newspaper.

The young woman also said that this path is difficult, but that she never had any doubts. "During the three and a half years that the process lasted, I never hesitated in my decision. I felt guilty - I have a partner, family, friends and I am not blind to their suffering. I felt scared. But I am absolutely determined to go ahead with this".

To the British press, she also spoke about the follow-up, saying that all the doctors she meets ask her if "she is sure" about her decision, and remind her that she can stop the process at any time. "My partner has been in the room for most of the conversations to support me, but several times he was asked to leave so that the doctors could be sure that I was speaking freely", she explained.

And how did Zoraya's case become known?

The case became known after the young woman told her story through an article in an American publication - and, moments later, her message box "exploded". Many messages came from the United States, and the amount of reactions made her delete social networks.

"People said: 'Don't do this, your life is precious'. I know that. Others said they had a cure, such as a special diet or medication. Some told me to find Jesus or Allah, or told me that I would burn in hell. It was a total storm. I couldn't handle all the negativity", she confessed.

"It has been a long battle"

After this whole process, Zoraya hopes that medically assisted death will happen in the coming weeks. "It's a relief. It's been a long battle". On the day it is scheduled, a medical team will go to the young woman's home. "They will start by giving me a sedative and will only give me the medications that stop my heart when I am in a coma. For me, it will be like falling asleep. My partner will be there, but I told him it was okay if he needed to leave the room before the moment of death", she explained.

"Now the time has come, we are prepared for it and we are finding a certain peace. I also feel guilty. But sometimes, when we love someone, we have to let them go", she said.

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If you are suffering from any mental illness, have self-destructive thoughts or simply need to talk to someone, you should consult a psychiatrist, psychologist or general practitioner. You can also contact one of these entities:

SOS Voz Amiga (between 3:30 pm and 12:30 am, free number) 800 100 441 (between 4 pm and 12 am) 213 544 545 - 912 802 669 - 963 524 660 

Conversa Amiga (between 3 pm and 10 pm) - 808 237 327 (free number) and 210 027 159

SOS Estudante (between 8 pm and 1 am) - 239 484 020 - 915246060 - 969554545

Telefone da Esperança (between 8 pm and 11 pm) - 222 080 707 

Telefone da Amizade (between 4 pm and 11 pm) – 228 323 535

All these contacts guarantee anonymity to both the caller and the person who answers. In SNS24 (808 24 24 24 - then you must select option 4), the contact is assumed by health professionals. The SNS24 line operates 24 hours a day.

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