Double euthanasia: Couple's final farewell in the Netherlands
Jan Faber and Els van Leeningen were married for nearly half a century. At one point, they decided they wanted to die together and underwent a so-called double euthanasia. Earlier, they had managed to say goodbye to their family and friends.
1 July 2024 21:52
Euthanasia remains a highly controversial topic. A few weeks ago, the entire world was focused on the case of 29-year-old Zoraya ter Beek, who announced her desire to die because she could no longer bear living with depression and anxiety. She died at the end of May.
Now, the European media is discussing a couple who underwent double euthanasia. Jan Faber and Els van Leeningen met in kindergarten. Even then, they knew they would be together for the rest of their lives. In his youth, Jan played hockey for the Dutch national youth team, later becoming a sports coach. He also worked as a cargo ship operator. Els became a primary school teacher. They ran a business together, had a son, and lived happily until a certain time.
In 1999, Jan started to have serious health problems. He suffered from back pain due to the hard work he had been doing for over a decade. In 2003, he underwent back surgery. That was the first time he talked about euthanasia. According to the BBC, he explained to his family that he didn't want to live too long with physical limitations. The couple joined a Dutch "right to die" organisation during this period. In 2018, Els retired, and she began showing initial signs of dementia. She didn't want to see a doctor. However, when the symptoms began to worsen, it became inevitable. Two years ago, she received a terrible diagnosis. When it became clear that her condition would not improve, she and their son began discussing double euthanasia.
Els van Leeningen and Jan Faber underwent double euthanasia. They managed to say goodbye to their son
In the Netherlands, euthanasia and assisted suicide are allowed if a person makes a voluntary request, and doctors assess their suffering—physical or mental—as "unbearable" with no prospect of improvement. Each person is evaluated by two doctors, with the second doctor reviewing the decision of the first.
Els van Leeningen and Jan Faber received lethal medication from a doctor and died together on 3rd June 2024. She was 71 years old, and he was 70.
In their final moments, they were accompanied by their closest friends, Jan's and Els's brothers, and their son with his wife.
