A heart-wrenching story has emerged from the Netherlands, where a couple who had been together since childhood recently made the difficult decision to end their lives side by side. Jan Faber, 70, and Els van Leeningen, 71, who had been married for nearly five decades, opted for double euthanasia in early June.
Surrounded by their cherished friends and family, including their son who found it hard to accept their choice, Jan and Els spent their final moments together. Reflecting on their decision, Jan shared, “You don’t want to let your parents die. There have been tears, our son said, ‘Better times will come, better weather’—but not for me.” Els added, “There is no other solution.”
Jan, who used to work as a cargo boat operator, had been living with severe back pain for over 20 years. Els was diagnosed with dementia in 2022, which gradually worsened over time, making it difficult for her to express herself.
Their incredible journey began in kindergarten. Jan went on to play hockey for the Netherlands’ national youth team and later became a sports coach, while Els pursued a career as a primary school teacher. Their shared love for the sea led them to a life on boats and operating a cargo transportation business. They even had a son, who attended boarding school during the week and joined them on sailing vacations.
However, due to Jan’s debilitating back pain, the couple had to move from their boat to a caravan. Despite undergoing surgery in 2003, his pain continued to persist, forcing him to stop working. Els carried on with her teaching career, but Jan’s condition eventually led them to consider assisted dying. They sought support from NVVE, the Netherlands’ “right to die” organization.
In 2018, Els retired and began showing early signs of dementia, a condition that her father had also battled. By November 2022, she had received an official diagnosis, and her condition rapidly declined. Their general practitioner, like many doctors in the Netherlands, initially hesitated to approve their request for euthanasia due to Els’ dementia, which can complicate the assessment of a patient’s consent capacity.
To navigate this challenging situation, the couple reached out to the Centre of Expertise on Euthanasia, an organization that offers guidance on assisted dying and conducts procedures in patients’ homes. Approximately one-third of the requests presented to the center are approved. Prior to their appointment, Jan and Els cherished precious moments with their son and grandchildren, relishing in games, conversation, and even taking a walk on the beach.
On the day they chose to pass away, Jan and Els spent their final hours surrounded by loved ones, sharing cherished memories and listening to their favorite music. Their son fondly recalled, “I remember we were having dinner in the evening, and I got tears in my eyes just watching us all having that final dinner together.”
Eventually, doctors administered simultaneous lethal injections to Jan and Els, and they departed from this world together on June 3. Their deaths are part of an alarming trend in the Netherlands, where 9,068 individuals opted for euthanasia in 2023, a significant increase from the 8,720 cases seen in 2022, with 29 couples making this difficult choice.
Although the practice of euthanasia is subject to strict regulations, it remains a highly controversial and extensively scrutinized topic in the Netherlands. Each case is meticulously evaluated on an individual basis to ensure that the decision is made voluntarily and after exploring all other viable options.
