She grabbed the leaflet on the fly and now takes the time to read it on this little stretch of sidewalk, Place du Havre, in Paris, where busy executives, cellphones to their ears, and stressed travelers, pushing their wheeled suitcases, are hurrying the step to the nearby Saint-Lazare station. On the sheet of glossy paper, the slogan “Never again alone in the face of pain!” »embedded in the photo of an elderly lady called out to her. “Mom just turned 93 and is currently in hospital. We found her in her bed, completely aphasic. She goes up the slope. Slowly… “, confides Chantal, 60 years old.
The conversation can engage with Perrine, volunteer of the collective Relieve but not kill at the origin of the operation. “On the occasion of the World Day Against Pain, we want to recall the urgency of making palliative care accessible to all those who need it and affirm that euthanasia cannot be an answer to suffering”she pleads.
“Palliative care is already an answer”
To get its message across, the group, which brings together five associations – 100% Alive, Care with Dignity, Alliance Vita, the European Institute of Bioethics and Caregiver Convergence – decided to take to the streets on Tuesday, October 18, to meet the French. Passers-by who wish can even take a picture of themselves behind a portico hollowed out with a heart and post the image on their social networks, accompanied by the hashtag #ToujoursEnVie, a rallying sign of this campaign for the promotion of a palliative culture. .
“Pain management does not solve everything, but it is an essential step in end-of-life support. Studies and the testimonies of caregivers show that when the suffering is listened to and treated, the person finds appeasement.explains Perrin. “No doubt, as soon as one no longer suffers, the anguish and the call to die disappear. In this sense, palliative care is already a huge response to the end of life.agrees Chantal. But it may not be the only one. It is also necessary to take into account the question of the choice and the freedom of each one which is a difficult question. I don’t solve it. I reflect with you. »
In Paray-le Monial, in Saône-et-Loire, Caroline Brandicourt, 63, wanted to take to the streets to testify. With his wheelchair. Suffering since 2007 from Friedreich’s ataxia, an incurable neurodegenerative disease which “makes everything difficult, even talking”this former French teacher, now spokesperson for 100% alive, refuses to feel sorry for herself. “The most painful thing is to hear that a life is not worth living if you have to put on diapers and you can’t move. It’s my daily life and that doesn’t prevent me from being happy. I refuse to be forced to choose between suffering or dying. There is a third way. Live without suffering, since science allows it, to return to the essential: the love of others. »