Touching offer: Family saying goodbye takes their last vacation by the sea

Touching offer: Family saying goodbye takes their last vacation by the sea

In Oberhofen, 36-year-old Meike Scherer is faced with an unimaginable decision. She is suffering from a serious illness and has decided to seek euthanasia. What is unimaginable for most people seems to be the only way out of her suffering for Meike. With this in mind, she is planning to spend one last vacation by the sea in Italy with her three children – Leonie-Sophie (13), Kate (11) and Linus (8) – and her partner. As the Schwäbische Zeitung reports, her fate touched many people who sent her encouraging messages.

The offer from an anonymous donor from Hesse, who is herself the mother of six children, is particularly touching. This woman offers Meike a free stay in her wheelchair-accessible holiday apartment in Imperia, which has three bedrooms, a kitchen and beautiful sea views. The offer touched Meike emotionally and she plans to accept it. In recent years, Meike has bravely battled her illnesses, which began with an emergency cesarean section in 2016 and continued in 2021 with a diagnosis of cervical cancer. Since then, she has had multiple surgeries and can no longer receive parenteral nutrition due to thrombosis. Now she has decided not to accept any further treatment - only pain therapy.

Legal framework for euthanasia in Germany

In Germany, the issue of euthanasia is highly controversial. Assisted suicide has been permitted since 2020, provided the decision is made freely and autonomously. The Federal Constitutional Court stated that everyone has the right to take their own life and to seek help from third parties. In 2023, over 400 people took advantage of this opportunity. While assisted suicide triggers many ethical and legal discussions, active euthanasia remains prohibited.

Experts distinguish between different forms of euthanasia: assisted suicide, active and passive euthanasia and indirect euthanasia. Assisted suicide means that the patient takes the lethal drug themselves, while active euthanasia involves someone else administering the drug. This distinction is relevant for doctors and lawyers, as the legal framework varies for each form. Nevertheless, some psychiatrists are calling for a structured procedure to assess the voluntary responsibility of people who want assisted suicide in order to better protect them and avoid abuse.

Outlook and demands for legal regulations

Despite the legal regulations in place since 2020, there are currently no uniform standards for assisting with suicide. The German Medical Association does not see this as a medical task. Initiatives to change the law failed in the Bundestag in 2023. Many are calling for the legal basis to be defined more clearly and for a multi-stage process to be introduced that includes detailed information and a psychological assessment before someone receives help to commit suicide. As the doctor Thomas Pollmächer emphasizes, clear guidelines are essential in order to do justice to the people affected and to respect their wishes.

How the issue will develop in the future remains to be seen. However, in the case of Meike Scherer, the affected family struggles to fulfill their last wish and spend unforgettable moments together in Italy while preparing for what is to come.