A two-year-old toddler in the Netherlands was euthanized for having birth defects and disabilities despite there being multiple other treatment options. 

The toddler, whose gender has yet to be revealed, had their life ended senselessly after being born prematurely and diagnosed with cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and visual impairment.  

Despite the various conditions the child faced, independent doctors from outside the region concluded that “the child was not continuously suffering unbearably” and had “reasonable alternatives” to euthanasia, including “palliative options and other medications that could possibly result in better control of the epileptic seizures.” 

The toddler’s original doctor, however, went to another doctor after hearing this to get the answer he ultimately decided to obey: the standards for euthanasia had been met, and the child could be killed. 

This comes after years of expanding euthanasia rules in the Netherlands. The Dutch were the first to pass a national euthanasia law back in 2002 for ages 16 and up, as well as babies under one year old experiencing unbearable suffering. Children from the ages of 12-15 were also eligible for euthanasia with parental consent. 

In 2024, the country expanded the law to include children between one and 12 years old with parental consent. This toddler is the first in the country to die because of the loosened restrictions. 

One consistent part of the Netherlands’ law is that it never required a patient’s condition to be lethal for them to qualify for assisted suicide; those with degenerative conditions that cause great suffering and have little chance of alleviation of that suffering also qualify. 

Laws like this are not exclusive to the Netherlands. Belgium has allowed children of all ages to qualify for assisted suicide since 2014, and laws in other countries are only expanding, including in America. 

In Canada, assisted suicides are a top cause of death despite plunging birth rates. In Quebec, more than 1 in 10 deaths are by euthanasia. 

New York recently became the one of 14 U.S. states to solidified assisted suicide into law. While it is only for people 18 years and older now, these laws clearly have a trend of expanding beyond what activists claim was the limited circumstance of adults with fatal conditions to anyone who wants one — or anyone the doctors want. 

Students for Life of America (SFLA) has been vocal on the issue of assisted suicide, from protesting the euthanasia industry targets those with disabilities just as the abortion industry does to exposing that these laws allow pregnant women from qualifying, meaning the state can euthanize women and their preborn children in one fell swoop. 

As the attacks on life continue to escalate, SFLA is dedicated to exposing the realities of assisted suicide and advocating for a world that defends all life, in and out of the womb. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT EUTHANASIA & END OF LIFE ISSUES.     

READ MORE ABOUT ASSISTED SUICIDE: 

Is Physician Assisted Suicide a Compassionate Choice?     

Physician Assisted Suicide Isn’t About Patient Care — It’s About Physician Laziness     

Prescribed Murder: The Horror of Physician-Assisted Suicide Outlined Through Death of Healthy Sisters in Switzerland Euthanasia    

These Two Doctors Debated about Assisted Suicide