Jerika Bolen wants to end her life. The fourteen-year-old suffers from a terminal affliction, Type 2 Muscular Atrophy, which puts her in a wheel chair and has her in constant pain. She wishes to stop the ventilator that allows her to breath sometime this month.
Jerika’s mother has told the press that she has “reluctantly accepted her daughter’s decision.” Disabled Parents Rights are seeking the intervention of Wisconsin’s Child Services to prevent Jerika’s planned death.
The Appleton, WI community held a prom for Jerika in July the called “Jerika’s Last Dance.”
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
Sorry for upsetting those who are offended.
Sometimes quality of life is not necessarily living.
My feelings on this subject have been discussed with my wife, she knows what to do.
That’s tough. 14 is awfully young but with no foreseeable cure, constant pain and a death sentence coming up soon anyway, I would defer to her wishes.
30 sugeries? Wow.
God speed little one. Stop by the Rainbow Bridge, I have a passle of old friends waiting on me and they’ll keep you good company.
Tough subject. She is not asking for a Kevorkian drip. Just don’t hook her up to a machine. The world wants to argue the situation while the child suffers. The courts will be involved. The family will endure a circus not of their asking. The religious will say it’s a sin. The opposition will say, then let God cure her. Like I said. Tough subject
Tough, tough choice. Sad that a 14 has to even wrestle with this.
I am looking at my little girl now. Almost 9. If she were in this situation, I would weep while letting her go.
Is fourteen an appropriate age to allow a person to decide to end their own life?
Should the medical / mental health community be included in the decision?
All teenagers think their suffering (physical, mental, emotional, etc) is the most pain any person has ever had to endure. This is why teenagers commit suicide at higher rates than any other age group.
I concede this girl’s case is different. They don’t specify her exact condition but if they mean SMA2 then it’s Dubowitz muscular atrophy. Exact symptoms vary, but these patients typically can make it into adulthood.
I’m in favor of allowing people to die by their own choice, in cases such as this, but ultimately the girl is only 14. As I said, there are plenty of 14-year-olds who think their suffering is too much to bear. Once she’s 18, she’s an adult, and if she still wants to die at that time, I would fully support her decision. Until then, she’s a child, and should be protected from her own immaturity.
Damn, so young to let her go, but who can measure another person’s suffering? I wish her relief from suffering.
And I wish her family privacy and respect in their difficult time.
Went through this with 2 young, beautiful grandchildren, Mom, Dad, a younger Brother, 2 life long best friends, my most favored Aunt and a brother-in-law during a two year period of loss.
No matter how badly one wants to hold on to loved ones, when the body cannot support itself on it own; when there’s no possible cure or release from suffering, it is time to let go.
In the realm of time, life is but a blink of the eye.
Faith, Family and Friends are most important to endure the losses we’ll all experience. As in the beginning, our lives are in the Lord’s Hands and we’ll soon meet again.
Godspeed, Jerika! Know: you are loved and you won’t be forgotten. …Lady in Red
OK This may make some mad but being in constant pain is NO WAY To LIVE.I have a chronic condition that has pain all the time.We all should have a right to end our suffering.A loving God would understand that.
There’s plenty of teenagers around who kill themselves and even though as sad as it is, we soon forget them and go on about out business. I feel for this child to be so young, would like to live a healthy live free from pain. If she feels this is her way out of the pain and a life in a wheelchair deteriorating faster, then give her what she wants. If we have a loving God,and understanding God, what’s the problem? It’s no problem for him. She has suffered enough pain for her lifetime. Let her go.
She’s not doing anything active (poison, gunshot) to end her life. She’s just asking for the equivalent of a DNR.
I doubt most people have ever experienced continual ongoing pain that has no relief. Medical people ask you to rate your pain on a 1-10 scale and I doubt most people have ever experienced even a level 6 or 7 and especially not higher levels for prolonged periods.
I HAVE gone through such pain and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemies, even O-shitstain or Cankles – a quick death would be more merciful. I knew I’d eventually get through it but this young lady knows she won’t. I don’t think anyone else should make that decision for her. Like B Woodman says, she’s not actively trying to suicide, she just wants to be left alone.
And she can change her mind at any time until almost the very end.
Not one person walking the planet actually knows death of the body for what it is.
We are that which cannot know, the living.
Most of us eventually get around to formulating a version of the question, “Do I continue on as an individual after my body dies?”
Those with religion comfort themselves with an answer provided for them.
I’ll just wait patiently for my answer.
I wish this young woman peace and freedom from the torment of pain. In any form.