In Peru, where euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal, a woman in her 40s who was paralyzed due to a rare degenerative disease was granted an exception after years of struggle and ended her life by euthanasia, Reuters reported on the 22nd (local time).
The lawyer for Ana Estrada (47), who suffered from a rare degenerative disease, said that Estrada died by euthanasia on the 21st after a long legal battle and a ruling that she could end her life with medical assistance.
Estrada, who was a psychologist, won the right to die through medical assistance from the court in 2022. With this, Estrada became the first person to be euthanized in Peru.
Estrada was a patient with polymyositis, a degenerative disease that reduces muscle strength due to muscle inflammation. She began experiencing symptoms as a teenager, and by age 20, she was unable to walk on her own and had to use a wheelchair.
Despite these circumstances, Estrada went to college, earned a degree in psychology, and became a psychotherapist. She earned enough money to buy her own apartment and became independent from her parents.
However, starting in 2017, his condition worsened and he could no longer get out of bed. Estrada remained in bed and relied on a ventilator to survive. Ultimately, Estrada filed a lawsuit to allow her to choose to die when she wanted through euthanasia.
In a media interview, Estrada described his situation as “like a prisoner trapped inside my own body.”
Estrada explained that the lawsuit he filed was ‘for freedom, not death.’
“I want to euthanize when I can no longer endure the pain in my life and when I can say goodbye to my loved ones in peace and calm,” Estrada said.
“Estrada’s fight for the right to die with dignity made Peruvians aware of the importance of this right,” Estrada’s lawyer said after her death by euthanasia. “Her fight transcended borders.”
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