{UAH} Chilean girl with cystic fibrosis asks president to let her die

Chilean girl with cystic fibrosis asks president to let her die

Video grab taken from footage posted by Valentina on Facebook.

A 14-year old Chilean girl who suffers from cystic fibrosis has made an emotional plea to be allowed to die, filming herself asking President Michelle Bachelet to authorize her euthanasia.

In a video that media said had been uploaded to her Facebook page on Sunday, Valentina Maureira said from her hospital bed: "I am asking to speak urgently to the president because I am tired of living with this sickness and she can authorize the injection to put me to sleep forever."

Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition that affects the lungs and other organs.

Maureira's brother had died of the disease, her father, Freddy Maureira, told local Radio Bio Bio.

"She has already had five operations... which have caused her a lot of suffering and pain," he said. "It was promised that things would get better, but for her it was worse."

The video had surprised him, he added.

A spokeswoman from the Universidad Catolica clinic in Santiago confirmed that Valentina Maureira was a patient at the hospital and said she was stable, with no immediately life-threatening conditions.

In Chile, as in many countries, euthanasia is against the law. The Catholic church retains a strong influence on society, and the country is one of a handful to ban abortion under any circumstances.

Center-left Bachelet, who is a year into her second term, has introduced reforms, including a bill being debated in Congress that would relax the abortion law, that have angered conservatives.

Bachelet's agenda has not mentioned euthanasia, though, and the government has not yet commented on the Maureira case.

___________________________________

Gwokto La'Kitgum

"Even a small dog can piss on a tall Building", Jim Hightower

--
Disclaimer:Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.To unsubscribe from this group, send email to: ugandans-at-heart+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com or Abbey Semuwemba at: abbeysemuwemba@gmail.com.