I wish I was not born in this time of technology; this is the most horrible error in the cycle of the earth. Why would such a thing happen to me and in such a time like this? Will the pain in me ever die, where will I go and never ever remember this in my life? Will God ever forgive me for what I have done?
He was 29 years old when he started as a clinical officer in Africa. Very energetic, passionate about his work and very social in life. His family celebrated him as well as the entire village for being the first clinical officer in the entire history of their province. All those who supported him in education in the university were very enthusiastic and committed to see their son climbing the ladder of success in a very dynamic way.
Working in a provincial hospital as a young person was seen as a great achievement to doctor Simon. All work needs determination and focus no matter what.
If you visit a hospital ward or a nursing home where terminally ill people are being cared for, you probably would be far more disturbed than if you went through a mortuary. The sights, sounds and smells would create a deep sense of pity for the dying and their loved ones. They might even put you into a temporary state of depression for a number of days. They could make you even wonder why an almighty and merciful God would allow human beings created in His very own image to end their days like this.
Doctor Simon enjoyed talking, treating and intermingling with patients of all nature, both in the casualties and in the word; going around to check their health development, giving hope to the weak and prescribing medicines and therapy was all he was meant for.
Every career has its own challenge as far as life is concerned. But being a medical doctor is such a tasking assignment. Seeing patients cry for help, painful children who fails to understand what life is all about as well as dying people on the bench as they wait for the doctor’s attention. At this time, you wonder as to why God allows His people to suffer this much without allowing them to die quickly and easily, rather than permitting them to live on as bedridden zombies or whimpering animals.
One day Doctor Simon was busy attending to the patients when an ambulance arrived. A terrific road accident had happened along the major highway in Nairobi. Some people had died while the casualties were brought for treatment in this hospital. The scenario was so horrible that even looking at the victims was so disturbing. Simon had been calling on his friends a number of times for them to have a clear picture of what he goes through; but this time he was very troubled and disturbed. But he had to apply more confidence than before.
Something to understand here is that Doctor Simon was a very dynamic Christian with great Christian testimony, besides being a doctor. So, sometimes he told me how hard it was to see a fellow Christian in intense pain without offering any help but think of the wonderful release death will bring. It is very hard to see someone you once knew as a vibrant, articulate Christian gentleman helpless as a baby, existing in an unreal world, and incapable of comprehending anything you say to him.
While attending one of the casualties, Doctor Simon was convinced in his mind that the patient won’t make it and if it works, miraculously, then the patient would end up being a zombie. From the look, the patient had to struggle to clear the hospital bill since he was a casual laborer. In his heart, Doctor Simon was raising a petition, “Dear Lord, please call this patient home to be with you. Do not let him continue to live this way.”
As a Christian, he knew very well that killing is wrong and punishable; but on the other hand, he wanted his patient to be free from pain. Now the question remains, what does it mean to apply mercy killing and true euthanasia in the light of the Bible? Note that there is dilemma brought on in part by modern medical science. Is it possible to apply mercy-killing to our suffering friends, relatives and patient. What does it mean by “passive euthanasia”, and if it must be applied, how can it be done within the scope of the will of God?
In such a situation, one need to be very sober and critical in the way to apply your epistemology. So what he did instead, he requested his colleague who was also a doctor to have mercy on the patient and inject him a medicine that will eliminate pain and sleep forever; this is was because Dr. Simon did not want to see the labored breathing that come when the patient was dying; and his Christian faith gave him great conviction that it was not good at all.
The only problem here was that, the patient was a very close friend of his neighbor who sponsored him during his varsity education. The neighbor had high hope that under Dr. Simon’s care and attention, all will be well and that he would return home after treatment, but now he is no more. The dearth was not a natural one, but someone has applied euthanasia on him. To make the matter worse, the doctor shared the news in the presence of the relative; something that made Dr. Simon to feel more unfair and unreliable.
In Europe and other developing countries, some medical scientists and sociologists are complaining for legislation to permit doctors to terminate life under some circumstances. They are fighting day and night to have the law cover hopelessly deformed or mentally incompetent children, grownups existing as vegetables or mentally incompetent because of accident or illness, and terminally ill people who desire relief from intense suffering. Ok, the decision for the mentally incompetent would be made by a group of relatives and doctors. The terminally ill who are capable of choosing would make the decision for themselves.
With all this in the mind of Dr. Simon, coming from the background whereby God is the only who have the authority over life and death, guilt and shame became his belt. This made him to reduce going home from thrice a month to three times annually.
I am not a doctor neither do I know anything as far as medical world is concerned, but I believe there are many people who dies due to euthanasia. And it is true that many doctors are guilt of that and responsible for the death of our loved ones in a way we cannot tell; but there are a lot of things that are beyond our understanding and we need not to lean on them so much but leave them for and to God, who will put everything to light when we all appear before Him.
“I’m not afraid of being dead. I’m just afraid of what you might have to go through to get there.”
Pamela Bone.
STORY BY:
KAGAME Bernard
EDITED BY:
BABU Biko
