He was just 2 years old and could not ask to die. Even so, a doctor ended his life in the Netherlands after his parents gave their consent, in a case that became the first known instance of a child under 12 undergoing this procedure.
The little boy had been born at 26 weeks and suffered from severe brain damage, cerebral palsy, blindness, and frequent seizures that did not respond to treatment. Doctors determined that his suffering was unbearable and that there was no reasonable alternative to alleviate it.
The case was reviewed by a medical committee, which concluded that the procedure had been carried out with due care. But it left a difficult question on the table: can a child’s death be decided when they cannot ask for it themselves?