25-year-old Annaliese Holland’s gut-wrenching story is one of unimaginable mental strength and resilience. The young woman hails from Adelaide, Australia, and has been granted permission to end her life. She made this decision after years of battling a rare neurological disease. After enduring pain, trauma, and uncertainty, she has now been approved for VAD (Voluntary Assisted Dying).
Holland spent most of her childhood in the hospital, suffering from this rare illness, which resulted in her experiencing nausea, chronic pain, and vomiting. She has been on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for the past 10 years, wherein she is being fed through IVs.
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Talking to News AU about the same, Annaliese said, “My bowel acts as if it’s blocked, but there’s nothing actually blocking it. It’s just the nerves don’t work so, as gross as this is, my stools would back up so much that I would throw it up or drain out my tummy.”
Holland revealed that she was placed on TPN since she was still vomiting, and it was discovered that her stomach was not emptying. At the age of 18, she found out that she had been diagnosed with autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy. This rare neurological disease affects the nerves that control blood pressure, digestion, heart rate, and urination.
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Annaliese discovered that her condition was terminal at the age of 22. As a result, the young woman is living with multiple organ failure, having survived sepsis 25 times. She has furthermore developed osteoporosis because of the heavy medications.
Holland further fractured her spine in four places, almost crushed her heart and lungs, as well as cracked her sternum in half. She furthermore suffered from necrosis, where the blood supply failed to reach her bones. This blackened her teeth and also made them fall out.
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Describing her plight as a debilitating pain, Annaliese Holland revealed, “I was so miserable. You can’t change it, so you have to just deal with it, really. Even though there are beautiful moments in my days, they are exhausting and long. I’m in chronic debilitating pain.”
Almost in tears, Holland recalled having spent her birthdays at the hospital, watching her friends getting married and having babies, while her life is now stuck. She said, “I missed out on formals, graduations, my 18th, 21st [birthdays], they were all in hospitals, being really sick. All my friends, they’re having babies, getting engaged, and married. Everyone’s life is moving, and I’m just stuck. I’m not living. I’m surviving every day, which is tough.”
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Describing her illness to be like walking on a field of landmines, Annaliese admitted to having confessed to her family that she wishes to die on her own terms, as she cannot endure this pain anymore. She also confided the same to her team of nurses and doctors.
As a result, Holland was approved for Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) three weeks after having a chat with psychologists and going through the qualification process. She is hailing it as her “safety blanket” and a huge weight being lifted off her shoulders. VAD is in contrast with the concept of euthanasia.
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Euthanasia is considered illegal since the patients themselves choose to end their lives without the aid of a doctor. While in VAD or MAID (Medical Aid in Dying), the patient is assisted by a doctor while doing so. MAID and VAD are legal in all states of Australia for patients who are terminally ill for a prolonged time.
