When Pernilla Wallin was twelve years old, she learned that she has an incurable disease that slowly breaks down her muscles – LGMD.
For many years she has been determined to get help to end her life in the not too distant future.
– I want to finish when I’m still myself. The happy, bubbly and mischievous, who likes to travel, be with friends and invent things.
The muscle disease that Pernilla Wallin has means that she needs a lot of help. She has needed a wheelchair since 2011, as she cannot stand or walk by herself. The disease has no known cure and she gets worse over time.
– The fight going on between my head and my body is the toughest. The head wants so much but the body doesn’t respond.
Pushing the issue of getting euthanasia
Pernilla Wallin has submitted a request to the National Board of Health and Welfare about physician-assisted dying – a case that the authority describes as “unique” and very unusual in an email to TV4 Nyheterna.
– For me, this is about my life, not someone else’s. I feel that I am 39 years old and should be able to decide for myself how I want to live my life. But in this matter I have nothing to say unless I go somewhere else, like to Switzerland, as I intend to do, she says.
– I want to finish when I’m still myself. The happy, bubbly and mischievous, who likes to travel, be with friends and invent things. Drive my car.
She has received help with her request for euthanasia from the organization “The right to a dignified death”. They want to push the issue to the European Court if necessary.
“Not up to others”
On Wednesday, Pernilla Wallin participated in a parliamentary seminar to try to influence the politicians.
As it stands now, only the Center Party wants to work to allow euthanasia. The Liberals, the Sweden Democrats, the Green Party and the Left Party have backed the matter to be investigated – and a working group within the Moderates
The Social Democrats have not taken a position yet and KD has said no to an investigation.
– It is not up to others, who are perfectly healthy, to sit and say that I should not be allowed to make my own active choice. I’ve been in this boat for a long time now and I was very, very young when I decided, she says during Wednesday’s seminar.
– People think I sit and long to die. It’s the last thing I do, because I love life.
Hard to travel
Pernilla Wallin says that it is a big project for her to travel even as the situation is now. If she had to go to Switzerland, she would most likely have to postpone euthanasia.
– I will have to make the trip earlier to still manage it. My wish is to get the right to do this in Sweden, because it means that I will be able to stay longer.
What is euthanasia?
The Swedish Medical Association defines euthanasia as “an intervention that is given following an express request from the patient where the intention is that the intervention will cause the patient’s death.”
It is then divided into two categories:
Euthanasia – euthanasia which takes place by someone other than the patient performing the decisive action that leads to the patient’s death.
Assisted dying – euthanasia where the patient himself performs the decisive act.
Source: Swedish Medical Association