The Lion’s Den on Euthanasia – Goodbye Oscar

Euthanasia

As a person who is dealing with the care of elderly parents experiencing extremely painful health conditions, I am so glad that the Supreme Court of Canada has lifted the ban on assisted suicides. It is comforting to know that people with terminal illnesses experiencing unbearable pain every moment of their lives now have the right to end their suffering.

In my book, The Lion’s Den, due for publication in April, 2015, the subject of euthanasia is examined, as the main character, Della Rawlins visits a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center, and experiences the grief of having to put a beloved animal down. Della’s grandmother makes a case for assisted suicide for people who are terminally ill and who are dealing with chronic debilitating pain.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/assisted-suicide-physicians-want-more-palliative-care-as-well-1.2948265

The Lions Den:

After her chores were done, Della went out on the verandah to sit in the porch swing and wait for Brad and Hope to come back. As she made herself comfortable, her phone dinged with the tone that indicated a Skype call.

“Hi Nana,” she smiled as the screen popped open and her eighty seven year old grandmother’s kind face filled the screen.

“Hello my beauty,” the old woman chirped, “Where are you?  I missed you tonight for our Radio Bingo date.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Della said, remembering too late that she was supposed to pick up the game cards and be at her grandmother’s senior’s residence at 6 pm sharp.  “Something came up and I had to go out of town.”

“That’s okay, my dear.  I was young once.  I remember how things used to come up back then, too,” She cackled, “Your mother was here, anyway.  Not as much fun as you, but we did okay.  Need young people like you around to keep me from getting old,” She cackled again, wheezing.

Della could see her Nana struggling to hold up the phone with her arthritic wrist,

“Damn rheumatitis,” She complained, wincing, “What I wouldn’t do for a fifth of scotch.”

“Nana!”  Della scolded, “You know you can’t drink alcohol with the drugs you’re taking!”

“Oh, I know, girl,” the old woman sighed, “Can’t do any of the fun stuff anymore.  Sucks to be getting old.”

Della smiled at her, “You can’t keep a good woman down,” she said.

“So what did you get up to after?”  Nana asked with an impish grin, “Was he taller than six two?”

“More like three feet,” Della said, trying to put Nana off the scent of what she thought might be a big secret romance, “I’m at a wilderness refuge.  My friend had to put her bald eagle down.  She has been working with him for five years, but he developed really bad arthritis and he can’t fly properly now.  He seemed upset that someone has to get his food for him, because he can’t hunt anymore.”

“I know exactly how he must feel,” Nana said, holding her arthritic wrist and painfully flexing her claw-like old fingers, “Useless!  If people were half as kind to their seniors as they are to their pets, they would put them out of their suffering when we get old and sick and depressed.  Half of the old age homes around are full of the walking dead, just hanging around waiting to die.  Who wants to be old and broken and dependant on someone else to wipe the drool off your face?  It’s so much kinder to let one die with dignity, like your friend did for her eagle.  Keeping people or animals alive because their bodies are too stubborn to quit, that seems to be more for the family than the senior, don’t you think?  The native cultures got it right, you know.  When a senior got old and sick, they would let them walk away from the tribe, alone, to die.  Animals often do that, too.  Then we have dumb people, who take men like old Dr. Kevorkian, who believe in assisted suicides for people who have excruciatingly painful, degenerative diseases, and throw them in jail.  I tell you, girl, the world is a screwed up place.”

Later, Nana took part in a television promo for the wildlife shelter where she spoke about their having to put their beloved friend and mascot, Oscar the bald eagle to sleep:

The screen opened on Nana, sitting in front of her computer screen at home.  Her poor arthritic wrist and her gnarled old hands were folded in front of her as she spoke.

“Nobody knows how helpless and useless one feels when you live every day in pain.  For a proud bird like Oscar, it is such a gift to give him to end his suffering, and let his spirit soar, free of his damaged body.  He will live on in all of you, because he has touched your hearts and helped you to understand how important it is to respect and protect all of our wild creatures.  Whenever we see animals being mistreated, we should step in and say “No”.  When we can give them a second chance on life, we can call people like Hope.  When we can end their suffering, we should.  Thank you, Oscar and Godspeed.”

Read more about Oscar the bald eagle and the Hope for Life wildlife refuge when The Lion’s Den comes out in April.

 Feel free to leave a comment and share your views on euthanasia and assisted suicide.