Belgium approves first euthanasia of a minor / 全球首例 比利時未成年病患安樂死　　　　　　　　　　

A terminally ill minor has been helped to die in Belgium for the first time since the country removed age restrictions on euthanasia two years ago. The Belgian law believed that people should be allowed to make their own choices between life and death. However, only under specific conditions that euthanasia for minors can be approved. In September, a 17-year-old was granted euthanasia in Belgium. He was the first minor to receive doctor-assisted suicide under rules adopted in 2014, allowing voluntary euthanasia for people of all ages. ==JEAN-JACQUES DE GUCHT, Senator, open vld member of Flemish Parliament== You cannot compare an adolescent that isn't being confronted with illness with a young person who is staring at death in its very eyes. So, you have 14-15 years-olds very well aware of the situation they're in and I think it's very important that we, as a society, have given the opportunity to those people to decide for themselves in what manner they want to cope with that situation. Euthanasia was legalized in Belgium 14 years ago. The number of patients receiving euthanasia in Belgium rose nearly eight-fold to a total number of 8,752 cases between 2003 and 2013. Belgian Paralympic silver medalist Marieke Vervoort, who suffers from an incurable degenerative disease, supported the use of euthanasia and said that having the right to choose euthanasia gave her peace of mind. ==MARIEKE VERVOORT, Paralympics athlete== I hope euthanasia is also something for every country that it means-- not murder-- that it means that it gives a feeling of rest to the people. If I didn't have those papers, I think I did already suicide because it's very hard to live with so many pain and suffering and this unsureness. Every year, it is going more and more less so I'm really glad with those papers. Belgium is the only country in the world which allows euthanasia for minors of all ages. For patients under 18 who request euthanasia, a parental consent is required. In addition, a minor should be in the final stages of an incurable disease with constant and unbearable physical pain that will cause death in the short-term. TRANSLATED BY：ARIEL HSIEH