Piergiorgio Welby (26 December 1945 – 20 December 2006) was an Italian

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

and

activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

whose three-month-long battle to establish his right to die led to a debate about

euthanasia Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different eut ...

in his country. Welby was diagnosed with

muscular dystrophy Muscular dystrophies (MD) are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of rare neuromuscular diseases that cause progressive weakness and breakdown of skeletal muscles over time. The disorders differ as to which muscles are primarily affe ...

as a teenager in the early 1960s. The disease progressed, and in 1997 he became unable to breathe on his own. He became politically active in the right-to-die movement, and in 2006 he publicly declared his wish to refuse the medical treatment that kept him alive. The case was controversial, with liberal politicians supporting him and conservatives and the Vatican speaking out against his cause. After three months, he was allowed to die, though he was denied a church burial.

Life and career

Born in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, the son of Alfredo Welby, a

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

playing for

A.S. Roma ' (''Rome Sport Association''), commonly referred to as Roma (), is a professional football club based in Rome, Italy. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma has participated in the top tier of Italian football for all of its existence, except for ...

, Welby was diagnosed with

at the age of 17. During the 1960s, he became influenced by the hippie movement, extensively travelling throughout

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

from 1969 to 1971 and using

drug A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via insuffla ...

s to help forget his disease; back in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, he devoted his life to poetry and painting, supporting himself by giving private lessons. During the 1980s, he cured his drug dependency with the help of a methadone-based therapy which, while successfully detoxifying him, accelerated the progression of the disease, irreversibly paralyzing him from his waist down. At this time, he met his future wife Mina while she was traveling to Rome with her

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

. On 14 July 1997, Welby suffered a respiratory insufficiency that left him completely unable to breathe naturally. He depended on

mechanical ventilation Mechanical ventilation, assisted ventilation or intermittent mandatory ventilation (IMV), is the medical term for using a machine called a ventilator to fully or partially provide artificial ventilation. Mechanical ventilation helps move air ...

and artificial feeding and communicated through a speech-synthesizer.

Activism

The last years of his life were marked by

activism Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in Social change, social, Political campaign, political, economic or Natural environment, environmental reform with the desire to make Social change, changes i ...

. He joined the

Italian Radical Party The Italian Radical Party ( it, Partito Radicale Italiano), also known as the Historical Radical Party (''Partito Radicale storico''), was a radical, republican, secularist and social-liberal political party in Italy. History Since 1877, t ...

and later the

Associazione Luca Coscioni The Luca Coscioni Association for the freedom of scientific research was founded on September 20, 2002 by Luca Coscioni, who had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and was a member of the Italian Radical Party who promoted the campaign for the freedom ...

, which named him co-president in 2006, a group with close ties to the Radical Party, that advocates euthanasia, free access to

assistive technology Assistive technology (AT) is a term for assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and the elderly. Disabled people often have difficulty performing activities of daily living (ADLs) independently, or even with ...

and freedom of scientific research. Welby used the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

as his primary mean of communication by posting on web forums and, since 2003, on his own

blog A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

. On 1 May 2002 he posted a message with the title ''Eutanasia'' ( Italian for euthanasia) on Radical Party's on line forum, writing: "Everything still? Worse than the desert of the Tartars. ... while staring at the horizon. ... terminal patients like me. ... envy the Dutch people. ... WAKE UP" As of January 2007, the thread received over 20,000 replies. In April 2003 he opened a blog, expressing his views on different topics, commenting on current political events and publishing small poems. Since his death, the blog has been maintained by his widow. In May 2005, on the occasion of a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

dealing, among other topics, with the use of human

embryo An embryo is an initial stage of development of a multicellular organism. In organisms that reproduce sexually, embryonic development is the part of the life cycle that begins just after fertilization of the female egg cell by the male spe ...

s for

stem cell In multicellular organisms, stem cells are undifferentiated or partially differentiated cells that can differentiate into various types of cells and proliferate indefinitely to produce more of the same stem cell. They are the earliest type o ...

research, he specifically asked his fellow Radical Party members to take him to his local polling station, after his request to let disabled people who depend on

life-support Life support comprises the treatments and techniques performed in an emergency in order to support life after the failure of one or more vital organs. Healthcare providers and emergency medical technicians are generally certified to perform basic ...

machinery to vote in their homes was denied. In April 2006, a worsening of his muscular dystrophy paralyzed the finger which let him use the

mouse A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

, making him unable to use his

computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...

and heavily limiting his communication. He decided to publicize his request to die, hoping to start a nationwide debate on euthanasia.

Battle for euthanasia

On 22 September 2006, Welby sent an open video-letter to Italian President

Giorgio Napolitano Giorgio Napolitano (; born 29 June 1925) is an Italian politician who served as president of Italy from 2006 to 2015, the first Italian president to be re-elected to the presidency. Due to his dominant position in Italian politics, some critics ...

. It was shown on national

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

and made available for downloading on the Internet (see

external links An internal link is a type of hyperlink on a web page to another page or resource, such as an image or document, on the same website or domain. Hyperlinks are considered either "external" or "internal" depending on their target or destination ...

), describing his condition and explaining his desire to die. Napolitano answered he felt deeply touched by Welby's situation, inviting Italian politicians to a parliamentary debate on this and similar complex ethical issues. Welby's case aroused a heated debate, involving political, ethical, religious and medical aspects. Radical Party members supported Welby's decision by organizing hunger-strikes and

demonstrations Demonstration may refer to: * Demonstration (acting), part of the Brechtian approach to acting * Demonstration (military), an attack or show of force on a front where a decision is not sought * Demonstration (political), a political rally or prote ...

; party founder Marco Pannella declared his readiness to turn the machines off himself as an "act of

civil disobedience Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders or commands of a government (or any other authority). By some definitions, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be called "civil". Hen ...

". Most

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

politicians adhered to the official position of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, opposing both euthanasia and aggressive medical treatment. On a televised debate, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán declared that stopping mechanical ventilation would only be acceptable if it were judged futile or disproportionate by his doctors. Health Minister

Livia Turco Livia Turco (born 13 February 1955 in Cuneo) is an Italian politician, member of the Democratic Party.Mario Melazzini, had

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most comm ...

, a similar sickness to Welby's. Melazzini decided to speak in

with other ALS patients, asking the help of the State for the right of such people to life. He declared to the weekly newspaper ''Oggi'' that "Only those who want death are listened to"."Ma noi malati come Welby, invochiamo il diritto alla vita", Oggi, 2006-12-27. That appeal gained the support of many Italians, including the writer Claudio Magris and the singer

Ron Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in ''Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe A ...

. Subsequently, after Melazzini's statement, hundreds of patients (among them notable cases in medical ethics such as Nello Guerra Crescenzi, Enrico Canova, and Salvatore Crisafulli — who was famous for having come out of a 2-year coma) wrote letters to Welby asking him to "fight for his life". Oncologist and long-time euthanasia supporter Umberto Veronesi and

surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...

Ignazio Marino said Welby's right to refuse medical treatment was granted by Italian constitution and by the code of conduct of the Italian medical association. One of Welby's doctors noted that after switching off the ventilator, the code of conduct would force him to take proper action to revive the patient once he reached a state of

unconsciousness Unconsciousness is a state in which a living individual exhibits a complete, or near-complete, inability to maintain an consciousness, awareness of self and environment or to respond to any human or environmental Stimulus (physiology), stimulus. ...

. The case was brought to a court which denied the request, finding no specific law governed it and urging Parliament to solve the problem. In December 2006, anesthetist Mario Riccio contacted Radical Party member

Marco Cappato Marco Cappato (; born 25 May 1971) is an Italian activist and politician. Cappato was an Italian Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2009. He represented the Bonino List within the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe parlia ...

, informing him that he would perform the operation, seeing no legal impediments. Doctor Riccio arrived in Rome and after ensuring Welby's request was voluntary and not dictated by external pressures, decided to grant his request.

Death and aftermath

After the doctor agreed to his request, Welby asked to listen to

Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread a ...

's '' The Four Seasons''; as it was not available, he then chose

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

. The procedure started with

sedation Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure. Examples of drugs which can be used for sedation include isoflurane, diethyl ether, ...

at 11:00 p.m. on 20 December and ended at 11:40 p.m., when Welby was officially declared dead. His death was announced the following morning by Marco Pannella on radio; further details were given at a press conference held some hours later. Mina Welby

Italian politicians were divided after his death. Members of the Radical Party and of left wing expressed sorrow for Welby's death, together with relief for ending his long suffering. On the other hand, members of the Italian conservative parties criticized the doctor and the political use of Welby's case. Luca Volonté, of the

Christian Democrats __NOTOC__ Christian democratic parties are political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social tea ...

, requested the immediate arrest of "Welby's murderers." Despite strong pressure from public opinion, both the Ethical Committee of local Medical Association and the criminal court judged Doctor Riccio’s conduct to be legitimate. In a controversial move, Roman Catholic Church refused to allow a religious

funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...

, officially declaring that "Welby had repeatedly and publicly affirmed his desire to end his own life, which is against Catholic doctrine." A civil funeral was celebrated in a public square in Rome. In 2015, commentators contrasted the church's denial of a ceremony for Welby with a ceremony for Vittorio Casamonica, an alleged mafia boss.Italy anger at 'Godfather' funeral for alleged Rome mafia boss
BBC 21 August 2015.

References

*Welby, Piergiorgio (2006). ''Lasciatemi morire.'' Rizzoli, *Fisher, Ian (19 December 2006). A Poet Crusades for the Right to Die His Way. ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' *Staff report (13 December 2006). Italian man sparks euthanasia row. ''

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...

'' *Fisher, Ian (21 December 2006). Euthanasia Advocate in Italy Dies. ''

External links

Welby's blogMemorial
* (with English subtitles)

which appeared in ''

Wired Magazine ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online magazine, online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquar ...