Teenage girl pleads with Chile president for the right-to-die

[PressToTeleport]

Teenage girl pleads with Chile president for the right-to-die

PUBLISHED : Friday, 27 February, 2015, 10:43pm
UPDATED : Friday, 27 February, 2015, 10:43pm

Associated Press in Santiago, Chile

Cystic fibrosis sufferer Valentina Maureira.Photo: YouTube

Chile's government has rejected an ailing 14-year-old girl's plea on social media to allow her to "sleep forever".

Cystic fibrosis sufferer Valentina Maureira posted a YouTube video shot from what appeared to be a hospital bed asking President Michelle Bachelet to allow her to die. It quickly circulated widely on social media.

"I urgently request to speak to the president because I'm tired of living with this illness," said the teen, whose brother died at age six from the same disease. "I want her approval so I can get a shot that will make me sleep forever."

Presidential spokesman Alvaro Elizalde said on Thursday that although "it's impossible not to be overcome by emotion with the girl's request, it's impossible to grant her wish," because it's not allowed under Chilean law.

Elizalde said the health ministry was in contact with Maureira's family and was providing her psychological assistance as well as medical treatment.

Maureira was suffering from a respiratory illness and "significant caloric malnutrition" when she entered Santiago's Catholic University hospital on January 30, said Andres Castillo, the doctor in charge of her treatment.

In a statement issued by the hospital, Castillo said she had been transferred out of the critical paediatric patient unit.

"Right now our therapeutic efforts are aimed at the recovery of her nutritional state and supporting her family," he said.