Man becomes first person in Colombia with non-terminal illness to die by legal euthanasia [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Story by Reuters

Updated 5:47 AM ET, Sun January 9, 2022

(CNN) Colombian Victor Escobar became the first person in the Andean country with a non-terminal illness to die by legally regulated euthanasia late on Friday, his lawyer Luis Giraldo confirmed.

"We reached the goal for patients like me, who aren't terminal but degenerative, to win this battle, a battle that opens the doors for the other patients who come after me and who right now want a dignified death," Escobar, 60, said in a video message sent to media by Giraldo.

On Saturday, a second Colombian -- a woman with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease -- was also euthanized.

Escobar suffered from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which greatly diminishes quality of life, as well as a number of other conditions, Giraldo told Reuters.

More:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/09/americas/colombia-euthanasia-intl/index.html