“I want to die beautiful.” The story of Noelia, the 25-year-old from Spain euthanized today: why she chose death
A 25-year-old young woman from Barcelona, victim of sexual assaults and left a paraplegic following a suicide attempt, was euthanized on Thursday, March 26. Despite the parents' desperate efforts to stop the court proceedings, the justice decided that the young woman has the right to end her suffering, notes Sky News.
Noelia Castillo Ramos reported that she was raped twice in 2022 – once by her ex-boyfriend and later by a group of three young men. Neglected by her parents since the age of 13, after their divorce, the young woman ended up in the care of the state. While under the supervision of a state center for vulnerable youth, the young woman was gang-raped by three men. The severe trauma pushed her into a suicide attempt that left her with severe spinal injuries after she jumped from the 5th floor and had previously overdosed on medication. The impact left her paralyzed from the waist down and in severe, chronic pain with no chance of improvement, according to medical records.
His request for euthanasia was approved, after the case reached the European Court of Human Rights, which rejected the father's request to stop the procedure.
“I want to go now in peace and stop suffering, that's all“, the young woman declared in an interview granted to a Spanish television, being her only public appearance.
Noelia, who lived in a care facility, said it was “very clear” from the beginning about his wish to die, despite family opposition.
“No one in my family agrees with euthanasia. But what about all the pain I've been through all these years? The happiness of a father, mother or sister cannot be more important than the life of a daughter.” she stated.
The young woman confessed that she often felt alone and that her life was marked by suffering, both physical and mental. She suffered from persistent pain and had severe difficulty sleeping.
“I want to die beautiful”
Before the procedure, Noelia said she wanted to be elegantly dressed and preserve her dignity in her final moments.
“I want to die looking good, I want to die beautiful”, she confessed.
In a final interview on Tuesday, the young woman explained her choice with painful clarity:
I just want to go in peace and stop suffering. The happiness of a parent or a sister must not be above the sadness of my life.
Noelia also spoke about the total break with her father: “He called me heartless, said I don't think about others. But he doesn't call me, he doesn't write to me. Why does he want me alive? Just to keep me stuck in a hospital? I can't take the family anymore, I can't take the pain anymore, I can't take it anymore what's going on in my mind after everything I've been through.”
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She also stated that although she has invited her family to say goodbye, she wants to be alone at the time of her death. Noelia chose not to have her parents in the room during the 15-minute procedure.
The last hope of a grief-stricken mother
The young woman's mother, Yolanda Ramos, launched a desperate appeal in the last hours, hoping until the last second that her daughter would change her mind. Although she does not agree with the decision, Yolanda promised to be by his side until the last possible moment.
“If she doesn't want to live, there's nothing I can do. I prayed and hoped that at the last moment he would say: «I regret the decision»“, said Noelia's mother, noting that she has received financial donations for new treatments in the hope that this will convince her daughter to keep fighting.
The case was marred by a nearly two-year legal battle after his father challenged the decision, claiming that his mental health problems affected his ability to make such a decision. The Spanish courts, however, rejected the arguments, determining that fundamental rights had not been violated.
Later, the case reached the Constitutional Court of Spain, which upheld the original decision, and the last attempt to block euthanasia was rejected.
“I finally made it”said the young woman, adding: “Let's see if I can finally rest.”
Spain legalized euthanasia in June 2021, becoming the fourth country in the European Union to allow it for people with incurable diseases or unbearable suffering. The procedure involves the administration of a cocktail of three drugs that first cause sedation, then cardiorespiratory arrest.
The euthanasia process proceeded according to the medical plan, death being noted shortly after the administration of the protocol (around 18:15 – 18:20 Spanish time).
Noelia's final message, conveyed in the interview broadcast yesterday, was: “I just want to rest, because I can't take the pain anymore and everything that is tormenting my mind“.
