Martha Sepúlveda’s son assured that he will not rest until his mother’s wish for a dignified death is granted

At 7 a.m. this Sunday, October 10, 2021, Martha Sepúlveda was to exercise her right to die with dignity and become the first woman in Colombia to undergo this procedure without suffering from a terminal illness. However, IPS Incodol informed him that although he had said yes beforehand, he did not qualify for a dignified death. Lawyers say entity quashed proceedings illegally and improperly

After this decision, the family of Martha Sepúlveda He claimed that they will give the fight that is necessary so that his mother can die with dignity and that she does not suffer the ravages of the disease from which she is suffering. His son Federico Redondo Sepúlveda has assured that he will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the procedure is followed.

In an interview with Blu Radio, Redondo said that after the notification her mother returned in a state of depression and despair because she didn’t want to have to go through the torturous process of living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. (SLA).

“She was once again very worried about the future because she knows and is very clear about the difficulty and the end of her disease, and she knows that she is progressive and that she is progressing for a long time. We will be ready to fight for the dignity of my mother until the last consequences, because her decision has not changed at all because of this event, ”Federico Redondo Sepúlveda told Blu Radio.

For his part, Fredy Quintero, director of the Colombian Pain Institute, Incodol, endorsed the decision of the scientific committee indicating that the patient was improving physically, “The committee met and reassessed the case where it decided he did not qualify for the procedure.”

Claim refuted by the son of Sepulveda, arguing that what the man said is not true:

“Mr. Fredy Quintero, what improvement are you talking about? If at the appointment my mother was forced to attend at the request of INCODOL, the specialist’s conclusion was radically different, is the support for this an appreciation that was given to my mother on television? ? Respect! “, He assured via his Twitter account.

In addition, Redondo assured that he would not tolerate an attitude like that of the IPS since the treatment was suspended in an irregular and illegal manner, so they will enter into legal proceedings for the corresponding investigations to be carried out, but above all, for the emotional damage they caused to Martha Sepulveda.

Lucas Correa, the woman’s lawyer, also described the decision as “Illegitimate, illegal and arbitrary” and accused those responsible for violating the patient’s right to die with dignity, “They force her to live a life that she is unwilling to continue living, with suffering and pain that she considers incompatible with her idea of ​​dignity”, he claimed.

In July 2021, the Constitutional Court extended the right to a dignified death to those who suffer “Intense physical or mental suffering” due to an incurable injury or illness. Under this legal argument, Martha Sepúlveda had become the first case in which euthanasia is allowed in a patient who does not have a terminal illness, however, this was not possible.

In Colombia, euthanasia was decriminalized in 1997 and became law in 2015. Since that date, 157 procedures have been carried out, among which the most recognized is that of Ovidio González, father of designer Julio César González, “Matador” .

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