What kind of condition forces someone to be trapped in bed, unable to move their body while they suffer in complete darkness? Well, we can’t tell you — because doctors can’t diagnose it.
For Gina, a New Zealand woman in her mid-40s, the condition is a very real, very painful situation she’s endured for more than a decade. Her illness leaves her body in an incredibly fragile state, unable to use her voice or move her limbs. She spends every day in bed, wearing a blindfold and earphones; sunlight and sound bring her too much pain.
As reported by news.com.au, a new documentary called One Woman’s Fight to Die, directed by Wendell Cooke, follows Gina and her request to die from voluntary euthanasia. Using a touch alphabet to communicate, Gina explains that she wants her doctor to give her medicine that would send her to sleep and allow her to die a humane death. But New Zealand does not allow assisted suicide. In the United States, it’s legal in Montana, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and some parts of New Mexico, according to CNN.
No matter your stance on assisted suicide, this short, three-minute video is a heartbreaking insight into one woman’s struggle to survive a life restricted to bed.
via Van Winkle’s