Editorial photo #11945814 Social Issue

Gathering For Karine Brailly Whose Only Choice Left Is To Live Undignified Life Or Die

Handicapped people protest in front of the Purpan teaching hospital in Toulouse, France, on January 14, 2025. The NGO Handi'social calls for a gathering in front of the Purpan teaching hospital to protest against the only choice left to Karine Brailly: to live an undignified life or die. Karine Brailly, an artist, has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also called Charcot's disease. As her end is near, she asks to return to her house with a helper she chooses, but doctors refuse and tell her to accept a helper from Vitalliance, which has a record of mistreatment towards handicapped people. Doctors also refuse to treat her with an experimental treatment. Moreover, doctors accept a deep sedation for her at her request for this day, but in the morning, they say it is not possible at this moment. Protesters and handicapped people present demand that France respect the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The French National Assembly is poised to look at a new law called the 'law on the end of life' this month. (Photo by Alain Pitton/NurPhoto)