Melbourne to Perth, more than 4000 kilometers away, three days and three nights to drive, the plane needs to fly 4 hours and 15 minutes.
Belinda Teh, a 27-year-old Chinese-Australian girl, plans to walk more than 3 million steps with her legs and a full 71 days, more than 4500 kilometers from Melbourne to Perth. Only for people to fight for an optional end-euthanasia.
Many people wonder why a young man should do such a thing.
Belinda just replied: I want people to be happy at the last minute of their lives.
But in fact, behind this simple answer, there is such a heartache story.
Belinda`s mother, Mareia Teh, was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer at the age of 63.
Cancer cells move quickly, and Belinda`s mother`s spine was found to have a tumor.
However, what makes Belinda deeply painful is not her mother`s illness, nor her mother`s departure.
It was the pain that her mother could not choose and avoid at the last minute of her life.
"when I look at her, I can`t even recognize her," Belinda said. "one of my mother`s eyes looks at me and the other looks in the other direction."
"her whole body twitched, breathing often suffocated, making a hoarse sound."
"I tried to lie to myself. She couldn`t feel anything. But her other eye kept looking at me. I knew she was conscious. She was feeling pain."
Nurse also witnessed the state of Belinda`s mother, who said Belinda`s mother was in a state of extreme anxiety and was clearly uncomfortable.
In the end, the nurse had to make final preparations to give Belinda`s mother more morphine to relieve her pain.
But in extreme pain, the effect disappeared quickly, and Belinda`s mother continued to twitch painfully after stabilizing for 10 minutes.
Our mother was given morphine four more times.
"before my mother died, she went through at least five of these extreme pains."
Looking at her mother`s painful appearance, daughter Belinda also cut her heart like a knife.
"I believe that when we talk about leaving with dignity, my mother`s state is something no one wants to go through."
After witnessing this, Belinda herself suffered so much that it took her 18 months to get out of the grief.
And when Belinda`s mother experienced this level of pain in Western Australia, there were some parts of the world where people already had the option of leaving safely.
Fu Daren, a famous host of TW, is often tortured by illness after suffering from pancreatic cancer, spending more than NT $3 million before and after, and still has not improved. In the end, he decided to euthanize in Switzerland.
Before leaving, he affectionately said to the audience who had seen his program: dear audience, I love you.
On the day he left, Mr. Fu, dressed in a suit, walked cleanly into the euthanasia room with his family.
At the end of his life, the old man uttered clearly and logically asked the staff how to swallow the drug.
Throughout the process, the family hummed gentle songs.
Shortly after the old man said goodbye to everyone before the video, Farewell so long, swallowed the drug, he fell into his son`s arms.
When he left, the old man`s wife had been around him, caressing his back.
In a later interview, Mr. Fu`s wife said: he walked safely and happily.
No pipes all over, no shit, no convulsions, no pain, Mr. Fu dressed in formal clothes, hairstyle, dignity, cordial farewell to everyone, leave.
Another old Australian made the same decision.
Professor David Goodall, 104, the oldest scientist in Australia, volunteered for euthanasia at a Swiss clinic at 12:30 local time on May 10, 2018.
After eating his favorite fish fries and cheesecake, he listened to his favorite Beethoven Symphony No. 9, leaving the world with the last sentence: this (euthanasia) is a long process, (This is taking a long time.).
At the journalist meeting the day before euthanasia, the old man said, "I don`t regret the decision at all."
Just this year, Melbourne`s 54-year-old retired firefighter Troy Thornton, accompanied by his wife Christine, also went to Chongyang to arrive at a Swiss clinic for euthanasia.
Before saying goodbye to his family, he said: "I am doing this in my own time and in my own way, and you have to be happy for me."
People really don`t have a choice in the face of death?
Their end tells us that we can`t choose how to get there, but we can choose how to leave.
At least Victoria gave everyone that choice.
On November 29, 2017, people hugged each other and wept in the Virginia House.
After 18 hours of sleepless debate, the euthanasia bill was formally passed, and Victoria became the only legal area of euthanasia in Australia, which came into force on June 19, 2019!
In other words, starting next month, those who suffer from incurable diseases, and the disease causes unbearable pain, is so serious that they can not live for less than six months (or suffer from neurodegenerative diseases. Virginia patients who live less than 12 months will be eligible to apply for euthanasia legally.
If the bill is passed earlier, if it can be extended to the whole country, if people pay enough attention to it.
Then Belinda`s mother may not have to go through so much unnecessary pain at the last minute of her life.
This also became the reason why Belinda, left.
Earlier this year, Belinda began working with Go Gentle Australia (, Australia) to call for the legalization of euthanasia across the country.
She made a grand plan:
Starting with Victoria, where Australia`s first euthanasia bill was passed, he walked all the way to Western Australia, where his mother died, to draw attention to euthanasia and promote legislation in Western Australia.
On May 28 th, she took her first step from the Melbourne House of Representatives under the farewell of Governor Daniel Andrews.
Governor Daniel told Belinda: all the journey to reform begins with the first step.
The journey of 4500 kilometers has also begun since then.
Belinda is now walking on the road with white flowers in his hands.
Regardless of the wind and rain, all the way forward.
My mother used to be brave, but now it`s our turn, Belinda said.
Friends from all over the world, but also silently support Belinda`s journey.
A friend from South Korea said: with her great footsteps, many Australians have the right to choose happiness at the last minute of their lives.
This is true of Australia today and South Korea of tomorrow.
I hope everyone in the world, authority, choose to leave happily at the last minute of life.
Along the way, people supported Belinda, to complete her journey.
The day before yesterday, she went to the northwest Virginia town of Ballarat, where nurse and the midwife group greeted her in the cold wind and gave her a warm hug.
Yesterday, wind and rain, she walked from Ballarat to Beaufort, do not forget to thank everyone on the way to bless!
Netizens left messages one after another:
My father also died of advanced cancer, and I don`t want his ending to happen to anyone. I read about you, and if I knew you were in Ballarat, I would have come to see you in spite of the cold weather. I agree with you that Virginia`s euthanasia bill should be passed across the country. But at least Victoria has taken the lead. I hope someone can take the first step bravely. I am very sorry for your mother`s death. I will follow you every step.
Let`s go, Belinda, `s blessing from Malaysia.
This is a wonderful thing. I wish you all the best. Thank you!
Justice is behind you, Belinda! Well done!
The goal of Belinda is to mobilize 90 percent of Australians to support euthanasia, especially to encourage people in Western Australia to contact the local councillor and call on them to act as soon as possible.
If you want to support Belinda`s itinerary, you can donate on the Go Gentle Australia website:
https://www.gogentleaustralia.org.au/donate_monthly
You can also pay attention to Belinda`s Brave Walk, on Facebook, Twitter, Ins to see where Belinda is today.
On her long march, Virginia`s euthanasia bill will come into force, and let`s remember that day, June 19, 2019, an ordinary but great Wednesday, may it end unnecessary suffering in the world.
May Belinda fulfill her wish that everyone can leave with dignity and dignity.
