Monday, October 19, 2015

Mother of three battling MS takes own life at Dignitas assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland


A mother of three from Bury who battled a debilitating illness for nearly two decades has ended her life at an assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland.

Rachelle Linz, 50, known as Shelley, fought with multiple sclerosis for nearly 20 years. She died after taking a fatal dose of barbiturate at a Dignitas clinic in Zurich two weeks ago.

She leaves behind husband Jonathan and three children - Joshua, 24, Hannah, 22, and Jason, 20. All four were by her side when she passed away.

Mr Linz, 51, from Whitefield, who was by his wife’s bedside said the family had always hoped a miracle cure for MS could be found, but his wife had feared she would ultimately die from the condition and made the decision after her health badly deteriorated.[...]

12 comments :

  1. Bury is the jewish area of manchester. Not that there aren't non Jews there (including muslims.)

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  2. We can't judge other people for their actions, but it's sad that people are misguided, and unaware of the Daas Torah regarding suicide.

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  3. It has a small minority of Jewish people. They seem to me as if the father is Jewish and the mother is not.

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  4. In a society where the only enjoyment is the purpose of life, no wonder this act is fully accepted.

    In Britain, some of those who oppose the legalization of assisted suicide argue that it will lead to old people feeling that the have to do that in order to ease the burden of their families.

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  5. Another question here is how the modern day Jewish communities can continue to give a Jewish burial to suicides' like this what is the halachic justification (this is not similar to a 'normal' suicide where we can say they weren't in their right mind (however weak or strong the halachic argument is in that case I don't know). BTW this is not the first Jewish case like this in England there was one in May, a Jeffery Spector from Blackpool.

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  6. How do you get that impression?

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  7. What's this got to do with daas Torah? It is clear out and out Assur M'doraysa to commit suicide.

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  8. Not in all instances. See Shaul haMelech fell on his sword, vayikach Shaul es hacherev vayipol oleho. See Shmuel 1: 31: 4, ... pen yavou hoarelim udkoruni vehitallelu bi. Harav Levine of yerushalayim Rav hoAssirim smuggled in a hand grenade within an orange peel for nidon lakolar Dov Groner H'Y'D' just before he was about to be done away by the British Mandate. Tocho ochal ukliposo zorak R'L'.

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  9. Those are special cases, with specific 'heterim'.

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  10. Trying to find out what the Torah has to say on a particular topic is an example of living by Daas Torah. Not to make life and death decisions based on your own feelings or popular opinion.

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  11. I once read an article from an outgoing roshhabiyun, of various horaot shaa on parshat meraglim, that from a reputable rav, not sure if OY, they can mosif isha al ishto when bemakom shehem, ubeshaas hamatsor he can take a pill lehinotsel midochko, and even had his children leheosef el amov, yes, they worked on it quite hard. rofl, I don't think that RNG used that same heter. Sha'at cherum she'ani. Please excuse the sosum merubeh al haporuts venimuko imo.

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  12. Why can't we judge the actions of others? To take an extreme example, if someone in his right mind murders another person, wouldn't you judge him to be wicked?

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