A devoted couple who spent their lives together from childhood recently chose to die side by side, marking another case of double euthanasia in the Netherlands. Jan Faber, 70, and Els van Leeningen, 71, who had been married for nearly five decades, passed away by lethal injection in early June.
Surrounded by friends and family, including their son who found it difficult to accept their decision, Jan and Els spent their final moments together. Jan shared his reaction to their choice, saying, “You don’t want to let your parents die. There have been tears, our son said, ‘Better times will come, better weather’—but not for me.” Els added, “There is no other solution.”
Jan, a former cargo boat operator, had endured severe back pain for over 20 years. Els was diagnosed with dementia in 2022, which progressively worsened until she struggled to form sentences.
Their lifelong journey began in kindergarten. Jan later played hockey for the Netherlands’ national youth team and became a sports coach, while Els worked as a primary school teacher. Their shared love for the sea led them to live on boats and operate a cargo transportation business. They had a son, who attended boarding school during the week and joined them on sailing holidays.
Due to Jan’s severe back pain, the couple moved from their boat to a caravan. Despite surgery in 2003, his pain persisted, preventing him from continuing work. Els continued teaching, but Jan’s condition led them to consider assisted dying. They joined NVVE, the Netherlands’ “right to die” organization.
Els retired in 2018, showing early signs of dementia, a disease her father had also suffered from. In November 2022, she was officially diagnosed, and her condition rapidly deteriorated. Their general practitioner, like many doctors in the Netherlands, was hesitant to approve their euthanasia request due to Els’ dementia, which can complicate the assessment of a patient’s consent capacity.
The couple sought help from the Centre of Expertise on Euthanasia, which provides advice on assisted dying and conducts procedures in patients’ homes. The center approves about a third of the requests it receives. Before their appointment, Jan and Els spent time with their son and grandchildren, enjoying games, conversation, and a beach walk.
On the day of their death, Jan and Els spent their final hours with loved ones, sharing memories and listening to their favorite music. Their son recalled, “I remember we were having dinner in the evening, and I got tears in my eyes just watching us all having that final dinner together.”
Doctors administered lethal injections to Jan and Els simultaneously, and they passed away together on June 3. Their death is part of a growing trend in the Netherlands, where 9,068 people died by euthanasia in 2023, up from 8,720 in 2022, including 29 couples.
Despite strict regulations, euthanasia remains a controversial and heavily scrutinized practice in the Netherlands. Each case is evaluated individually to ensure that the decision is made freely and that no other realistic options are available.
