The boyfriend of a physically healthy Dutch woman who revealed she would end her life by euthanasia on her 34th birthday has paid a heartbreaking tribute to her, wishing her “no more pain” and saying he would “always” love him.
Jolanda Fun revealed this month that she hoped to become the last person in the Netherlands to receive medically assisted death, saying that despite the love of her partner, family and friends, she was suffering “constantly” due to mental health issues.
On April 25, the day she was planning her death, her partner Peter Silvius wrote her a touching message on Facebook. “Sweet Jolanda,” he said, “this is your day, your birthday and the day your wish comes true, a two-sided day.
“I will miss you very much as you begin your final journey to a place where you will find your peace and no more pain. I love you, you are always in my heart, have a good final journey and see you later xx’
The 34-year-old responded to her loved one with kissing emojis and a short message saying, “Thank you, darling.” She hasn’t posted a message since and it’s unclear if she followed through on her planned death.
Jolanda Fun – a physically healthy Dutch woman suffering from depression and other mental health problems – is scheduled to be euthanized today, on her 34th birthday.
Peter Silvius has shared a heartbreaking tribute to his partner who he wished for “no more pain”. The photo shows a man believed to be Peter
On April 25, the day she was planning her death, Jolanda’s partner Peter Silvius wrote her a touching message on Facebook.
Earlier this month, in an interview with the Sunday Times, Jolanda revealed she was in a relationship with a 51-year-old man who “knew all along this was going to happen”.
“But he really wants to spend quality time together, and he still does,” she added, admitting the situation was “confusing.”
Shortly after posting the message to Jolanda, Peter shared a short clip from an Instagram quotes page in what appeared to be another touching tribute to her.
The meaningful text read: “I have never loved anyone like I love you. I cry for you.
“No matter what you do, I can’t fall in love with you. I can’t bring myself to forget you.
He continued: “I have never missed anyone as much as I miss you. No one in this world means as much to me as you.
Peter’s Facebook page was updated in January to show the couple’s relationship.
Jolanda has been preparing for her death for some time, even printing funeral invitations that read: “Born of love, let go in love… After a hard-fought life, she chose peace for which she so longed.”
The physically healthy young woman said she had made assisted dying her goal since finding out two years ago from a psychiatrist that Dutch law allowed euthanasia for reasons psychiatric.
Peter shared a short clip from an Instagram quotes page in what appears to be another touching tribute to him.
The couple’s relationship status on Facebook, which Peter shared on his account in January
Jolanda faced mental health issues from the age of seven, suffering from eating disorders, depression, autism and mild learning difficulties.
She said in an interview this month that she would rather her life end peacefully than attempt suicide herself.
Although she has family, friends and a small dog, she said she hides what she feels inside, describing it as “dark, overstimulation, chaos in my head, loneliness.”
She added that her decision to “get out of life” was also influenced by the fact that her mother and father were ill and “fighting to stay alive.”
Jolanda described what made her decide she wanted to end her life through euthanasia, calling it a “dignified death” that allows a person’s loved ones to be there.
“The rules are very strict,” she said of her decision and the long road to getting her wish granted. “It’s not just euthanasia, there’s a whole journey.”
The Netherlands’ main euthanasia clinic, Expertisecentrum Euthanasia, reportedly refused a request to treat Jolanda’s case last month.
The Netherlands’ main euthanasia clinic, Expertisecentrum Euthanasia (pictured), reportedly rejected a request to handle Jolanda’s case last month.
The latest figures from the Netherlands’ Regional Monitoring Committees (RTE) show that 8,720 people ended their lives by euthanasia in 2022, an increase of 14 percent compared to the previous year.
However, after finding a psychiatrist capable of performing it and receiving approval from a third medical specialist just over two weeks ago, his case met the threshold for assisted dying under Dutch law. .
Figures show that 138 people with mental health problems were euthanized in 2023, representing 1.5% of euthanasia cases in the Netherlands that year.
The Netherlands is one of only three EU countries where the practice of assisted dying is legal, with rights groups saying it gives people battling a terminal illness or invalidating the right to end their suffering without humanity.
The data revealed that 8,720 people in the Netherlands ended their lives through euthanasia in 2022, an increase of 14% from the previous year.
This figure increased again in 2023 to 9,068, with the number of reported cases quadrupling between 2005 and 2023.
The 2022 figure represented 5.1 percent of all deaths in the country – but the real figure could be much higher given that research suggests around 20 percent of euthanasia deaths go unreported, according to Dutch media.
No scientific research has been conducted to establish the reason for the dramatic increase in the number of people choosing to euthanize themselves, according to the Netherlands’ regional monitoring committees (RTEs) which track deaths.
Under Dutch law, a person wishing to end their life for mental health reasons must meet six conditions.
They must be mentally competent, have a long-standing wish for euthanasia, the decision must be made of their own free will, they must have been informed of all alternative treatments and there can be no reasonable alternative.
Their eligibility to end their life must also be confirmed by independent doctors and can only be done according to very specific guidelines.
The vast majority of euthanasia cases are granted to people over the age of sixty suffering from terminal health problems.
For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for more details.
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