In the winter of 2018, in a Swedish hospital ward, the warm winter sun shone on the bedside through the window, making the 51-year-old Mina Kojima feel a little warm. Lying quietly on the hospital bed, she smiled and said her final farewell to her family, and in a few minutes the

In the winter of 2018, in a hospital ward in Sweden, the warm winter sun shone on the head of the bed through the window, making the 51-year-old Mina Kojima feel a little warm.

Lying quietly on the hospital bed, she smiled and said her final farewell to her family. In a few minutes, the doctor will euthanize her.

"Thank you for coming to see me off. This is what I didn't expect, and my body doesn't hurt as much as I imagined."

"I feel very happy to be guarded by everyone to move towards the end of my life."

Kojima Mina's words were peaceful and peaceful. The video recorder indicator light next to

is flashing constantly, recording the last moment of Mina Kojima's life.

Following the euthanasia procedure, Dr. Erica skillfully injected a special drug into her infusion bottle.

The last moment is coming, and her two sisters are also making the final farewell. They endured the grief in their hearts and tried their best to convey the courage and strength to their sister to welcome death.

Kojima Mina reached out and pressed the switch of infusion device . As long as she pressed it, she would be able to end her life soon.

But she stopped and said the last sentence. It was this sentence that made her two sisters unable to hold back anymore and burst into tears in an instant.

Then, Mina Kojima gently pressed the button on the infusion device, and the liquid in the infusion bottle flowed into her body drop by drop.

Kojima Mina Huanhuan closed her eyes. After just 4 minutes, she smiled and quietly left the world.

Since the Japanese euthanasia at that time had not been legalized, Kojima's two sisters followed her last wish and sprinkled her ashes into a river in Sweden.

So, as a Japanese woman, why did Mina Kojima come to Sweden and choose to end her life through euthanasia? What last words did she leave in the end? What is the understanding of euthanasia in today’s world?

(Minai Kojima and his sisters say their final farewell)

Today, we will discuss this serious topic of life through the example of Minai Kojima.

1. Suddenly suffering from a rare disease

Kojima Mina is the youngest child in the family. She has been favored by her parents since she was a child, and the two sisters above take great care of her.

However, due to the poor family conditions, conflicts between parents gradually increased. At first, they often quarreled, but later they simply divorced and started their own families.

Since then, the young Mina Kojima can only rely on each other with her two sisters.

Due to the lack of parental care, she has been insecure since she was a child and does not like to communicate with her classmates at school.

But Mina Kojima is a sensible child. She studies very hard and is very independent and independent in life.

18 years old, Mina Kojima decided to apply for Seoul University in South Korea and leave the familiar environment to see the world outside.

Through unremitting efforts, she finally realized her dream and came to South Korea alone.

It is precisely because of her independence and self-reliance since childhood that she has been studying and living in Korea very smoothly. While she is studying Korean seriously, she also works part-time and earns her own living expenses.

(Minai Kojima when I was young)

4 years of study have made Minai Kojima tempered into a beautiful and confident woman. After graduation, she chose to return to Japan to work.

Because she is proficient in Korean, she quickly found a job in Korean translation. This is a very popular job in Japan and has a considerable income.

However, although his career is booming, Mina Kojima's emotional problems have never made any progress.

Perhaps it was the failed marriage of her parents when she was a child that left a shadow on her, making her particularly avoid love and marriage.

is like this, until 2016, Mina Kojima, who is already 48 years old, is still single.

What surprised the sisters even more was that Mina Kojima suddenly resigned and chose to volunteer at the Children's Welfare Home.

In fact, for a long time, she has been paying attention to the protection of children's rights. Whenever she sees children in the welfare home who have lost their parents' care, Mina Kojima feels particularly distressed.

Because she has not had the care of her parents since she was a child, she empathized with the children in the welfare home.

Therefore, after having a certain financial strength, Mina Kojima resolutely quit her job and devoted herself to the children's welfare home, hoping to get more care from those poor children.

(Minai Kojima admitted to the hospital)

However, just when Minai Kojima was about to go to the welfare home, she was diagnosed with serious physical problems during her admission to the hospital and many physiological indicators were not normal.

I have been in good health for a long time, so why did I suddenly have problems?

Kojima Mina went to a large hospital for further examination. Unexpectedly, after the doctor finished the examination, he actually told her seriously that she suffered from a rare multisystem atrophy.

For a moment, Mina Kojima did not react. The doctor further explained to her that as the condition develops, various systems of her body will become rigid and gradually lose their functions.

Simply put, it is similar to vegetative people.

What’s more serious is that there is no effective treatment technology for this disease at present, and it can only be used to maintain life with drugs and devices.

The words of the doctor will undoubtedly sentence Mina Kojima to death.

At that moment, she collapsed and cried. After the two sisters learned the news, they immediately felt that she was with her.

Minai Kojima has no relatives except for two sisters. After seeing her sister, she hugged her sisters and burst into pain.

Fate is so unfair to her. She did not enjoy the love of her parents when she was a child, and now she suffers from such a rare incurable disease.

(Minai Kojima is with her sisters)

The sisters took her to their hometown to live together. During that time, although she was accompanied by her sister, Mina Kojima was always depressed and worried.

Is life over like this? Mina Kojima did not give up, she was determined to launch a new challenge to fate.

2. Fight against the disease

According to relevant medical journals, multi-system atrophy is a rare, rapidly progressive, and fatal neurodegenerative disease. 60% of patients need to use a wheelchair after 5 years, and the average life span of patients is about 8 to 10 years.

At first, the patient was just unclear expression and had a disorder in his movements. When he entered the later stage, he had lost his ability to move. At the same time, he was also accompanied by various complications of the digestive and urinary system.

As expected, a few months later, Mina Kojima's body began to react in various ways.

Fortunately, the sisters took care of her very carefully. If they had indigestion, they bought her digestive drugs, and if they had high blood pressure, they would take antihypertensive drugs.

The sisters' care gave Mina Kojima the courage to survive.

However, once you get this disease, the situation will only get worse.

Slowly, Mina Kojima could no longer stand up and could only lie on the bed in a daze.

(Minai Kojima)

In order to help her sister build confidence in life, her sister helped her open a blog to let her communicate with netizens.

On the Internet, after Kojima shared his illness with everyone, he really gained a lot of care.

Netizens often encourage her and shared with her a lot of experience in fighting against the disease.

After a period of time, Mina Kojima smiled on her face. She began to face up to her condition and was determined to make her last effort.

She no longer just lie on the bed, but walks slowly on the bed, exercising her muscles, and then gets up after she falls, and continues to exercise after getting up.

Drinking water and taking medicine no longer letting her sisters serve her. Although her hands kept shaking, she still tried hard to pick up the water cup, sprinkling it and trying again until she succeeded.

However, due to the irreversibility of atrophy, Mina Kojima's situation is getting worse and worse.

A few months later, no matter how hard she tried, she could not stand and could not even lift her arms.

All life can only be helped by others. This is unacceptable to her who has been independent since childhood.

(Minai Kojima who was treated in the hospital)

Fortunately, the sisters did not dislike her and took care of her patiently and encouraged her frequently, so they did not lose the confidence to survive.

In the winter of 2017, Mui Na Kojima went to the hospital for further examination, and the results showed that all organs in her body showed signs of failure and degeneration.

The doctor can only prescribe some medications for her to relieve her symptoms based on her physical condition.

At that time, Mina Kojima's condition was already very serious. Sometimes she wanted to express her gratitude to her sister with a smile, but her facial muscles did not respond at all.

Sometimes in the middle of the night, her stomach will be unbearable, the pain will become greater and greater, and the duration will be longer and longer.

However, they were powerless and could only use a large amount of medicine to relieve the pain.

Kojima Mina also realized that no matter how hard she tried, it would be useless, so she cherished her days with her sisters.

Her emotions gradually became optimistic. In her spare time, she recalled the happy times of childhood with her sisters. The sisters often make some desserts that she likes to eat.

However, the happy time is extremely short.

One day, Mina Kojima's body suddenly stiffened, her hands and feet were out of control, and she had to enter the hospital to rely on medical devices to survive.

(Minai Kojima consults a doctor in the hospital)

It is what I saw and heard in the hospital that became the last straw that broke the back of Muina Kojima.

3. Thinking of euthanasia

On the day, my sister took Mina Kojima to the hospital for further examination, but she didn't expect to meet a female patient who also suffered from multisystem atrophy.

The female patient was sick for longer than her, and her symptoms became more serious.

The female patient was lying on the bed without moving, only her eyes and fingers could move freely. Whether it was taking medicine and drinking water or being convenient, it was all up to others to serve her.

Kojima Mina learned that the female patient was named Dao Dai. She fell ill two years ago and was a single mother.

Finally raised his daughter to a human, but unexpectedly he suffered from rare atrophy.

Now it depends entirely on her daughter’s meticulous care for her. In her daughter’s heart, her mother is her only relative in the world.

However, the situation of Dao Dai made Mina Kojima, who had always had a strong sense of self-esteem, seriously stimulated. She knew that she would become the same as Dao Dai in the near future.

(Minai Kojima gradually lost the ability to take care of herself and could only lie in bed)

Minai Kojima really couldn't accept herself like a vegetable. By then, she could not move all over, and she had to feed her water and eat, and even had to help her urinate and defecate. Such a living was meaningless.

At that moment, she made a decision in her heart: she must leave the world as soon as possible, otherwise she will suffer if she drags down others.

After leaving the hospital, Mina Kojima never said a word. When she got home, she began to plan how to end her life because she knew that if she delayed, she would not even be able to commit suicide in the future.

That night, Mina Kojima quietly tied her neck with a silk scarf, trying to end her life on the edge of the bed.

However, the lasso she tied with a scarf was soon discovered by her sister. The sister knew that Mina Kojima wanted to end her life by committing suicide, and cried and told her to live strongly. No matter what happened, both sisters would take care of her.

However, Mina Kojima had decided to leave. She shed tears and told her sister that she was true in her heart. She didn't want to be a vegetable. Life was worse than death in such a life.

At that moment, my sister was shocked because she knew that Mina Kojima had been very independent since she was a child and never made decisions easily. At this moment, she must have been very desperate in her heart, so she did something stupid.

(Minai Kojima)

In the days that followed, although the two sisters took turns to take care of her, Minai Kojima often tried to commit suicide while her sister was not paying attention.On the one hand, it was because she felt desperate, and on the other hand, her physical symptoms became more and more severe and more painful.

One day, Mina Kojima saw the news of euthanasia on TV, and her eyes lit up.

However, by looking up relevant information, Mina Kojima learned that euthanasia is not allowed in Japan. After further verification, she learned that there is a medical institution in Sweden that can legally perform euthanasia on patients.

During those days, Mina Kojima searched the Internet for news and news about euthanasia every day. She learned that more than a dozen patients in Japan had performed euthanasia in Sweden.

So, Mina Kojima proposed her own ideas to her sister very seriously and wanted to ask them to help her go to Sweden.

However, it was strongly opposed by the sisters. Mina Kojima had made up her mind and spent several hours opening her heart to her sister and repeatedly expressing her true thoughts.

She told her sister that one day she would become a vegetative person and would not do anything except lying in bed. She couldn't accept that reality anyway.

(Minai Kojima was interviewed during his lifetime)

Listening to her sister's words, the two sisters burst into tears, and they finally accepted their sister's idea.

Since then, my sister began to help her contact matters related to going abroad.

4. Leaving quietly

In November 2018, after more than two months of contact, it was finally confirmed that a Swedish euthanasia institution called "Reincarnation of Life" could meet their request.

With the help of two sisters, they successfully completed the procedures for going abroad. The day after they got their passport, the three sisters embarked on a journey to Sweden.

is so anxious because my sister's condition continues to deteriorate and the pain she endured every day is also increasing.

On November 25 of the same year, they successfully came to Sweden and contacted their doctor Erica Brech. Although legal euthanasia is allowed in Sweden, the review is very strict, after all, life is at stake.

Therefore, Dr. Erica repeatedly checked the relevant procedures and communicated with Mina Kojima several times to confirm that it could clearly express its true thoughts.

(Minai Kojima is waiting to be euthanized)

After confirming that Minai Kojima Kojima had completely voluntarily euthanized, Dr. Erica was not in a hurry to execute their euthanasia request, but gave them two days to consider again.

These two days may be the last time the three sisters are together, so they cherish them very much.

When I went to bed at night, the three sisters lay on the same bed and chatted until late at night almost every day.

In the past two days, Mina Kojima has also had emotional fluctuations. It even kept asking her sister, is it really ending her life like this?

However, when she saw the sisters taking turns feeding themselves and carrying her to the bathroom to take a shower, Mina Kojima finally made up her final decision.

On the last night, the three sisters had dinner together in the hotel and told their sisterly friendship. They all burst into tears.

The next day, the car sent by the medical structure parked at the hotel door. At this time, the atmosphere in the room was particularly heavy, and at the last moment, Mina Kojima still had no regrets.

An hour later, Mina Kojima lay on the bed of a medical institution.

This is a bright ward, and the sunlight outside the window shines in, making the weak Mina Island feel a little warm.

As according to the plan, doctor Erica injected euthanasia into the infusion bottle in advance, and then needed Mina Kojima to press the button on the infusion tube himself.

(Minai Kojima's last moment of life)

The last moment finally came. The sister held Minai Kojima's hand tightly and encouraged her to face death bravely. Although her tone was plain, the sisters were extremely heavy inside.

Kojima Mina seemed particularly free and easy, always keeping a smile. She told her sisters: "Thank you really, I am so happy to have you two accompany me in the end, and the physical pain is not that uncomfortable. Thanks to you being by my side, I am so grateful."

This is Mina Kojima's last words. As soon as she finished speaking, her two sisters burst into tears.

At this time, Mina Kojima quietly pressed the button on the infusion tube, and the liquid in the infusion bottle flowed into her body drop by drop.

Mina Kojima slowly closed her eyes, and her calm face was always smiling.

minutes later, Mina Kojima stopped breathing, and the sisters knew that the sister had left this world.

Because Japan does not allow euthanasia, Mina Kojima's bones The ashes could not be brought back to China, so they could only sprinkle Mina Kojima's ashes into the Swedish rivers, integrating her life with nature.

During the process of euthanasia, Japanese TV station sent reporters to record the entire process. The next year, Japanese TV broadcast the documentary "She Chooses Euthanasia".

(After Mina Kojima received euthanasia, the doctor confirmed his death)

After the broadcast, the documentary quickly caused widespread heated discussion.

Most patients suffering from diseases in Japan support euthanasia and call on Japan to promote the legalization of euthanasia.

However, many people have raised objections, the most important thing is that they are worried that euthanasia will be abused, and many people believe that euthanasia is against human ethics.

In fact, the controversy about euthanasia always exists, but opposition still accounts for the majority. In recent years, many people in our country have proposed the legalization of euthanasia, but they have never been officially confirmed.

In the early years, there was a lawsuit over euthanasia.

5. The first controversy caused by euthanasia in China

1987, there was a woman named Xia Suwen in Shaanxi Province.

That year, she suffered from "cirrhosis ascites ", Due to poor family conditions, the treatment has been delayed.

When he was admitted to the hospital, his condition was no longer controlled. Xia Suwen endured great pain every day, especially in the middle of the night, the liver pain was unbearable.

During the days of hospitalization, the doctor issued critical illness notices many times. The doctor sincerely told Xia Suwen's son Wang Mingcheng that the disease could no longer be cured, and he could only use medicine to relieve the pain.

(Wang Mingcheng accompanied his mother to treat)

Xia Suwen also told his family many times that there is no meaning to continue the treatment, and it is better to end his painful life as soon as possible.

Seeing his mother in such pain, his son Wang Mingcheng couldn't bear it. He also asked the doctor many times if he could end his mother's life earlier through medical means so that he would no longer suffer.

Attendant physician Pu Liansheng flatly refused at the beginning. However, Wang Mingcheng pestered him every day, hoping to introduce his mother's pain, and repeatedly stated that he would bear any consequences.

Seeing the patient in such pain and there was no better way to treat it, Pu Liansheng finally agreed.

Pu Liansheng prescribed a prescription for Xia Suwen, and the prescription was called Compound Hibernation Spirit, and the family members were required to sign and agree to euthanasia.

On the same day, Pu Liansheng arranged for the intern doctor to inject 100 ml of hibernation spirit into Xia Suwen. After a few hours, he was worried that the dosage was not enough, so he injected 100 mg the second time.

(Wang Mingcheng)

In the early morning of the next day, Xia Suwen stopped breathing and ended all the pain.

Only doctors Pu Liansheng and Wang Mingcheng know about all the processes. But unexpectedly, Xia Suwen's daughter accidentally learned the truth about her mother's death.

Xia Suwen's daughter reported to the Public Security Bureau immediately. Soon the police detained Pu Liansheng and Wang Mingcheng.

2 months later, the procuratorate sued them in court for intentional homicide .

Fortunately, after court trial, the hibernation spirit injected into Xia Suwen at that time only deepened her coma and was not the direct cause of her death.

However, Pu Liansheng and Wang Mingcheng had the motives and behaviors of intentional homicide, and in the end they were sentenced to less than 2 years in prison.

This is a special case that quickly attracted media attention. The TV station also conducted a special program to discuss "euthanasia".

In the program, doctor Pu Liansheng repeatedly expressed his regret. If time could go back, he would never agree to the request of the patient's family. After the

program was broadcast, many people also expressed support and sympathy for Pu Liansheng, believing that as a doctor, he promised to help implement "euthanasia" after repeated requests from the patient's family.

However, everything must be based on the law. Euthanasia is not supported in relevant laws in our country. Pu Liansheng helps others to perform euthanasia is not legal.

However, there are many people who support "euthanasia". In a survey organized by the TV station, 50% of people support euthanasia.

In recent years, at the annual National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Congress, people's Congress representatives have also made suggestions, hoping to implement the legalization of euthanasia.

Those NPC deputies have always believed that those patients with terminal illnesses, knowing that they cannot be cured, still have to endure huge pain and bring heavy burdens to their families.

Therefore, they suggest that on the premise of respecting the wishes of patients and their families, the legalization of euthanasia should be actively promoted.

Moreover, many countries have legalized euthanasia in the international arena.

So, why has our country been so secretive about euthanasia for so many years and has not been promoted?

Not long ago, the national health agency made its latest response to euthanasia-related issues, saying that although many people favor euthanasia, many people also oppose it, so there are huge difficulties in legislation. The head of the institution further explained that in addition to legal difficulties, China's moral ethics does not allow "euthanasia". Once future generations euthanasia on their elders, they will face tremendous psychological pressure.

Moreover, with the end of medical treatment, many hospitals have palliative care technology, which can relieve pain and leave with more dignity.

6. In-depth thinking, how to make terminally ill patients have dignity?

The words of the head of a national health agency are not unreasonable. Relevant surveys show that even in the 7,000 euthanasia of Dutch , only 59% of the people were voluntarily.

Most of the others are euthanasia performed by children and grandchildren on their own initiative.

Therefore, there are many terminally ill people abroad who choose to escape from their families and go to other countries for treatment before they have the ability to move, so that they can die with more dignity.

So even in Western countries where euthanasia is legalized, there is still huge controversy.

It can be said that euthanasia is not only a problem at the legislative level, but also a problem of human ethics and morality.

More importantly, euthanasia requires a lot of money most, and euthanasia cannot reduce the burden on the family.

(the elderly who are preparing to perform euthanasia abroad)

For example, if you apply for euthanasia in Sweden, you must first pay a membership fee of US$300, and then the euthanasia institution will conduct strict review and investigation to confirm that the patient meets the euthanasia conditions.

After determining the standard conditions, it is necessary to pay more than US$10,000 in euthanasia fees.

In 2018, a Taiwanese anchor suffered from a terminal illness. He voluntarily went to Sweden to perform euthanasia, and the entire process cost was as much as 650,000 yuan.

It can be seen from this that the implementation of euthanasia is not the best choice.

So, how should terminally ill patients leave with more dignity? Can it not only avoid suffering, but also reduce the burden on the family?

There are experts who recommend:

should give terminally ill patients comprehensive humanistic care.

For example, by injecting drugs such as morphine to relieve their pain, and at the same time, professional caregivers are invited to take care of them, so that they feel more dignified and more comfortable. This will also help the family get rid of high-intensity care.

We must work hard to relieve the family’s sense of self-blame.

Our country is a country that emphasizes filial piety, which is also an important reason why most people disagree with euthanasia.

Therefore, the patient's life should be extended through technical means as much as possible until he dies naturally.

Of course, this technology is not aimed at the treatment of the patient's disease itself, but uses technical means to relieve the patient's pain and no longer make the family feel regretful or self-blame.

In short, there is still a long way to go to legalize euthanasia. What we need to do now is to work hard to relieve the pain of terminally ill patients and make them walk with more dignity.

Reference:

Henan Urban Channel, directly hit the entire process of euthanasia, ending life in 4 minutes! Her video crying 130,000 netizens, 2019-06-27

China. How long does it take to be euthanized from awakening to death? A Japanese woman: It only took four minutes, 2019-07-22

South Weekend, "Abandoning culture" is prevalent? Many European countries relax euthanasia caused controversy, 2021-11-27

interface news, euthanasia: It is a dignified choice and a struggle that cannot be calmed down, 2019-06-03

Observer Network, controversy: Canada ruled that euthanasia is legal How countries treat euthanasia, 2015-02-09

Justice Website, Pu Liansheng and Wang Mingcheng intentional homicide case - my country's first "euthanasia" case (1990-1992)

Editor: The sky is gradually bright

Editor: Lin Hua