Deaf twins who discovered they were going blind and would never see each other again

MotionInSilver said:
I rather die than go blind myself. It takes a special spirit to handle life blind and still be able to see the world using other senses sans hearing/etc. I know its my greatest fear.

There are too many people that rather die than suffer, and its a whole can of worms to open.
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Please realize that it is not everyone feel that way. As Deaf person, I don't feel any suffer at all.

Anyway, for this article... I think it's terrible decision like that. Doctors should offer some hope. Not some despairs.
 
MotionInSilver said:
I rather die than go blind myself. It takes a special spirit to handle life blind and still be able to see the world using other senses sans hearing/etc. I know its my greatest fear.

There are too many people that rather die than suffer, and its a whole can of worms to open.
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when it comes to that moment, you would rather live than to die... even if you went blind.
 
MotionInSilver said:
I rather die than go blind myself. It takes a special spirit to handle life blind and still be able to see the world using other senses sans hearing/etc. I know its my greatest fear.

There are too many people that rather die than suffer, and its a whole can of worms to open.
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Nonsense. If it actually happened to you, you would be almost certain to adjust.

It's an oddity what happened with those two brothers, and so extremely irresponsible that they got help to do it.

I know from experience.
 
I don't know what sort of services Belgium has for those with disabilities, but it is heartbreaking that these men chose to end their lives. There are so many people that they could have drawn inspiration from that are deaf and blind. True, they may not have been able to see the other signing, but they could have learned tactile sign and had an even closer bond... Just tragic.
 
People go through serious bouts of depression. I am speaking for myself, death of my child, serious illnesses, injury after injury. Yes at times I might have thought that death would be so much easier. But time past and like most people I realized I had a lot to be thankful for. Suicide is selfish, your gone but you leave loved ones mourning your tragic decision. IMO
 
Bottesini said:
Nonsense. If it actually happened to you, you would be almost certain to adjust.

It's an oddity what happened with those two brothers, and so extremely irresponsible that they got help to do it.

I know from experience.
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Absolutely.

It's a small shot but it's also an even smaller blind/deaf world... any chance you are familiar with the Earwood family from Ft. Worth?
 
MotionInSilver said:
I rather die than go blind myself. It takes a special spirit to handle life blind and still be able to see the world using other senses sans hearing/etc. I know its my greatest fear.

There are too many people that rather die than suffer, and its a whole can of worms to open.
Click to expand...

NitroHonda said:
Absolutely.

It's a small shot but it's also an even smaller blind/deaf world... any chance you are familiar with the Earwood family from Ft. Worth?
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Sorry, I am not.. I assume Usher's syndrome?

For me blindness is coincidental and due to Ocular Histoplasmosis Syndrome, which is acquired, and not genetic.
 
Bottesini said:
Sorry, I am not.. I assume Usher's syndrome?

For me blindness is coincidental and due to Ocular Histoplasmosis Syndrome, which is acquired, and not genetic.
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It was worth a shot. It's my wife's side of the family. Close but they have retinitis pigmentosa (sp?)(RP). It's passed on with them for a few generations. They lead perfectly happy, content, and very active lives. They amaze me every time I see them. They do lead a life of many frustrations and barriers while progressively losing and ultimately all of their eyesight. They coped just fine though. My wife would cope perfectly and probably our sons. Can I? That's a question I hope to never have to answer but I'm sure I'll be fine.
 
I know that some see this as euthanising because of being deaf and blind. That is a horrifying thought and if I was seeing this the same way I would be just as against this happening. It is more about their unique relationship with each other and their own life.
These do not sound like a depressed person. To me I see them as one person split into two. That is what I get from this story. That there is something about their personal experience in life that only people being there and seeing them together - knowing them, and they themselves could know.
The rights and wrongs of being able to choose to not live is not a question there, they were been given that right. There has to be a rational selection based on rational things. No one is saying to them, you are this way and now you must die. They chose and it was a decision based on their personal suffering in relation to their own life.
 
goodonya said:
I know that some see this as euthanising because of being deaf and blind. That is a horrifying thought and if I was seeing this the same way I would be just as against this happening. It is more about their unique relationship with each other and their own life.
These do not sound like a depressed person. To me I see them as one person split into two. That is what I get from this story. That there is something about their personal experience in life that only people being there and seeing them together - knowing them, and they themselves could know.
The rights and wrongs of being able to choose to not live is not a question there, they were been given that right. There has to be a rational selection based on rational things. No one is saying to them, you are this way and now you must die. They chose and it was a decision based on their personal suffering in relation to their own life.
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Not only was it their decision... the family also supported their decision as well. Not just the doctor.

Still a very sad story...
 
Saline Eyes said:
I don't know what sort of services Belgium has for those with disabilities, but it is heartbreaking that these men chose to end their lives. There are so many people that they could have drawn inspiration from that are deaf and blind. True, they may not have been able to see the other signing, but they could have learned tactile sign and had an even closer bond... Just tragic.
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I heard that they may have been "hidden in the attic" ...they had their own sign language, so they had never been to school. I also heard they may have had some more serious health complications.
 
KarissaMann05 said:
Please realize that it is not everyone feel that way. As Deaf person, I don't feel any suffer at all.

Anyway, for this article... I think it's terrible decision like that. Doctors should offer some hope. Not some despairs.
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Not what I meant, I meant as in other people not deaf people, terminally ill persons who have more serious complications and struggle to live life everyday without pain. Older people who lost the will to live because their life partner is gone, etc etc there are too many situations to explain in detail.
 
Bottesini said:
Nonsense. If it actually happened to you, you would be almost certain to adjust.

It's an oddity what happened with those two brothers, and so extremely irresponsible that they got help to do it.

I know from experience.
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Bottesini... I would agree with you for the human spirit of wanting to survive...however...Not myself personally. Same goes for many others who become disabled one way or other, there are many in life that do not want to live life like this. Look at some war veterans right now, they're not adjusting well when they lose a limb or become paralyzed. Just because one has the ability/will to adjust what life gives them does not mean others can too. Go you guys if you guys can handle whatever life throws your way...celebrate your unbirthday with a cake 364 days a year and a bigger cake 1 day a year for your birthday!

On other hand....

We human beings have the right to die with DIGNITY.

Its no one's place to judge what others are feeling or tell others how to feel/experience.

We can't be the brothers' judges, they were mentally sound to make the decision themselves, and I rather have the government help them kill themselves than those two fudge it up and have them become living vegetables etc there are too many people who tried to kill themselves mess up and the tax payers are shouldering the medical bills. Not many can pull off a Romeo and Juliet and die easily!

That's what I'm saying in the brothers defense, to automatically judge and say it was wrong etc etc, are those people blind themselves? Dont put yourselves above what the brothers wanted, to die with dignity and they were only human beings with feelings and wants. If one values their eyesight more than life itself then so be it.
 
MotionInSilver said:
Bottesini... I would agree with you for the human spirit of wanting to survive...however...Not myself personally. Same goes for many others who become disabled one way or other, there are many in life that do not want to live life like this. Look at some war veterans right now, they're not adjusting well when they lose a limb or become paralyzed. Just because one has the ability/will to adjust what life gives them does not mean others can too. Go you guys if you guys can handle whatever life throws your way...celebrate your unbirthday with a cake 364 days a year and a bigger cake 1 day a year for your birthday!

On other hand....

We human beings have the right to die with DIGNITY.

Its no one's place to judge what others are feeling or tell others how to feel/experience.

We can't be the brothers' judges, they were mentally sound to make the decision themselves, and I rather have the government help them kill themselves than those two fudge it up and have them become living vegetables etc there are too many people who tried to kill themselves mess up and the tax payers are shouldering the medical bills. Not many can pull off a Romeo and Juliet and die easily!

That's what I'm saying in the brothers defense, to automatically judge and say it was wrong etc etc, are those people blind themselves? Dont put yourselves above what the brothers wanted, to die with dignity and they were only human beings with feelings and wants. If one values their eyesight more than life itself then so be it.
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Yes, I am in exactly that position.
 
As a deaf blind person myself I am very disturbed about the death of the deaf twins going blind. I have suffered psychological pain going through a bad patch several years ago. My eyes hurt a lot and I thought my home was being invaded by intruders. However that was then. Now I am very very happy that nobody tried to kill me while I was down. If they go on like this rate it will be just like euthanising pets. Some vets will have the animal put down just because of blindness or hind leg paralyses. That would put people like me in a lot of danger.
 
NitroHonda said:
Blind and Deaf is a life of extreme solitude.
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It's not that bad. I have friends just the same as I did before I lost my sight. Even when I was almost totally deafblind I still wasn't isolated in the way you seem to think. It was hard. I won't pretend it wasn't but it was definitely liveable. I also had mental heath issues and that was even harder.
 
i am partially deaf-blind myself this makes me scared. i love life and i adjust by not becoming nuts...i am a shy person....in life.
 
Cheers for that info soul and ive only just been able to get on the site again which is the 1st time since i last logged on before Xmas eve ..
 
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