Woman, 27, suffering chronic pain that can’t be cured explains why she wants to die by euthanasia

A woman living with a chronic condition that leaves her in constant pain has shared that she wishes to end her life via euthanasia.

Carolina Arruda from Brazil shared that she has plans to go to Switzerland to die by euthanasia as the practice is banned in her home country.

Carolina lives with a chronic condition which cannot be cured, and which means she has to live in excruciating pain.

The 27-year-old lives in Bambuí in south-east Brazil, and was diagnosed with bilateral trigeminal neuralgia when she was just 16 years old.

This condition affects four out of 100,000 people in the world and causes extreme pain in patients.

The mom-of-one describes the pain as like being shocked on both sides of her face with 220 volts.

Bilateral trigeminal neuralgia affects the trigeminal nerve which carries signals between the brain and the face.

Carolina made the decision to die by euthanasia. (Facebook / Carolina Arruda)

Simple everyday actions such as brushing your teeth, chewing, drinking, and sneezing can cause agonising pain for patients.

Describing the condition, Carolina told CNN: "Imagine a pain that makes it impossible to speak, smile, eat. It's the simplest things that this pain limits and incapacitates me in a way that I can't describe."

She added: "There are times when all I can do is lie down and curl up in a corner and wait for this pain to go away, but it never really goes away. I live with this pain 24 hours a day."

Carolina has explored a lot of other options before making her heartbreaking decision.

Explaining, she said: "I tried several pharmacological treatments, from conventional medications to more experimental options.

Carolina lives with a chronic condition that causes excruciating pain. (Vakinha)

"I invested time, money and an immense amount of energy in the search for anything that could alleviate my pain."

Tragically, these were not enough to improve the condition.

Carolina said: "Every day, I tried to find meaning, to find hope, but the pain was always there, without stopping.

"It's not a lack of love for life or for the people around me, it's simply a cry for compassion, for a dignified end, you know?"

Ultimately, she has made the decision to travel to Switzerland to die, where euthanasia is legal.

She said: "The decision to have euthanasia was the hardest decision and, at the same time, the clearest for me.

"Even with the support of my family, and all the possibilities for a happy life, the constant pain turned my life into a real torment."

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