A 24 year old man from Winterthur who suffered a cerebral hemorrage four years ago has asked Exit, an association which aids people who want to end their lives, to help him, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes.
The man, who lives alone, is confined to a wheelchair and is unable to hear. He said he no longer wishes to fight and has been thinking of suicide daily for two years and has already tried.
Jürg Wiler, vice president of Exit, described the case as rare. In its 37 year history, Exit has only occasionally helped people under the age of 40. However, he said it rejects no one and is happy to talk to anyone wanting to discuss their situation. Exit plays a role in suicide prevention. Most of the people it talks to decide not to seek suicide, he said.
The young man now talking to Exit has not taken a final decision. On one hand he says he is still young and has a chance of getting better. On the other hand he says he has lost hope and doesn’t think his state will improve.
Applications for assistance are studied by doctors before being accepted. In French-speaking Switzerland, 299 of 309 applications were accepted in 2015. The most common reason for suicide was cancer. 88 of the 213 (41%) suicides in 2015, were cancer victims. Most (183 or 85%) chose to end their lives at home.
More on this:
20 Minutes article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
Exit website (in English)
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