I have received correspondence from a friend who has been impacted personally by the trauma of euthanasia.  She writes:

“I am passionately anti euthanasia and have noted the suggestions for a submission on your website and will do my best to put one together, never having been politically active before.

My last position was for 16 years as night supervisor in an 108 bed Uniting Church aged care facility in Queensland and I estimate I was involved in (although not causing!) around 300 deaths, and actually present at many.  I have been subject to pressure from relatives in the middle of the night to hasten the process, despite the patient being adequately medicated and peaceful, and on one occasion had to face extreme anger at my refusal.

I believe that excellent palliative care is essential, and good support for the relatives equally important.  I am also troubled by an incident where someone I knew well, requested his two medically trained sons hasten his death, when he was suffering from pancreatic cancer.   One son agreed in principle but at the time could not act.  The other did assist and was troubled for the rest of his life, later telling me that he had killed his father.  I open a pandora’s box when I think about euthanasia.”

See also, Distinguishing euthanasia & palliative care  and  ‘35 years of my nursing in aged care and palliative care, I remain convinced’  and  Euthanasia Resources.