Euthanasia is the painless killing of a patient who wants an end to their painful medication treatment filled life. There are many types of euthanasia for example, voluntary where the patient makes the decision. Involuntary where a family member decides for the patient and non-voluntary when the patient is incapable of deciding themselves. Euthanasia is also only legal in four countries and four states in the U.S.  which eliminates the choice for those who do not live in these locations to continue their unwanted suffering. While it may seem to some that euthanasia is wrong, it is actually true that to some it is the only way out of their misery.

Most patients have chosen the right to die with dignity. Fourteen year old Valentina Maureira wanted to die with dignity. She is from Chile, a country that has not legalized euthanasia. In desperation, Valentina made the decision to post a video on YouTube pleading to the Chilean president to allow her to end her suffering. Although her plead was unsuccessful, one can tell how much she wanted to end her suffering. Besides Valentina, a 68 year old prisoner in Jamaica was diagnosed with chronic paranoid schizophrenia and a gangrene in his right leg. He was asked if he wanted his right leg amputated, but this man said no. Simply because he did not want to pass away without one of his legs. Most people do not want others to remember them suffering, or in any way that was not their full self. They do not want others to remember them at their worst, but rather their best. Which is most likely why most people choose to die with dignity.

Adding on, one should always have a choice.  For instance, Hannah had a choice to choose her future. She did not want to undergo anymore treatments. "Patients have a right to make their own decisions to preserve free choice and human dignity: this right includes the right to choose assisted suicide" (Ersek 48) Like Hannah, David Williams was also given a choice.  At the age 37 he was diagnosed with a tumor on his spine. After asking for doctor assisted suicide, he was also given the choice to be treated by Baroness Penarth. Eventually after the treatment and surviving he said "I had a job that a lot of people would die for: I had a nice house, and three lovely children, fantastic wife and everything was great. And then it all went wrong. Things do flash by you at that point." (The Observer) Evidentially, he was most likely depressed when he first asked for the option for euthanasia. But all in all he had a choice. Even though having choices could sometimes be difficult, it still provides the patient the option to choose what makes them happier. If they truly want to end their life to avoid all the pain that they're feeling, then they should be able to. Not everyone is strong enough to undergo numerous treatments.

 Also, is it really living if one has to spend years lying on the same hospital bed, trapped inside the same room for years? For instance, Aruba Shanbaug had spent 42 years living in a vegetative state. Shanbaug had been brain dead since the night she was sexually assaulted on November 27, 1973. Is that really living?  Besides the fact that she wasn't exactly living, she occupied a hospital bed that could've been used for someone who had a higher chance of waking up.

 In conclusion, euthanasia should be legalized, because if this is correctly supervised and is done responsibly then those who are suffering should be able to make their own decisions towards their future. Everyone is different and a choice to suit their situation and their decision should be an option.