"The Suicide Tourist," is a heartfelt, short film about a 59 year old ex computer science professor named Graig Ewertt and his wife. Graig Ewertt was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, which was deteriorating his insides, making him unable to carry out daily activities. In the film, Ewertt is tired of living with such an illness, and calls upon the help of an outer country organization to help him take his life. His wife had to become his caretaker and help him with basic things, for example shaving, eating etc.
Suicide Tourism, also known as euthanasia tourism is defined as going to another country to get assistance in taking your own life. It is a form of tourism associated with the pro-euthanasia movement which organizes trips for potential suicide candidates in the few places where euthanasia is permitted, in the hopes of encouraging the decriminalization of the practice in other parts of the world. This treatment has been going on for years, receiving terrible criticism from government officials. Practices at such an extreme level like this are illegal in America, but in countries like switzerland, it is legal to a certain extent. Therefore, organizations like Dignitas were created in order to assist people who want to end their lives.
Dignitas is a swiss group that helps people with terminal illnesses along with severe physical and mental illnesses to die assisted by qualified doctors and nurses. It was founded in 1998 by Ludwig A. Minelli, a Swiss lawyer. Swiss laws provide that assistance to suicide is only illegal if it is motivated by self-interest. As a result, Dignitas seeks to ensure that it acts as a neutral party by proving that aside from non-recurring fees, they have nothing to gain from the deaths of its members. They provide assisted suicide for people provided that they are of sound judgment and submit to an in-depth medical report prepared by a physician that establishes the patient's condition, as required by Swiss courts.
