Transsexual, 44, elects to die by euthanasia after botched sex-change operation turned him into a 'monster'

Nathan Verhelst, 44, born Nancy, was disappointed with sex-change results
His life was ended by the same doctor who euthanised deaf twins last year
Comes after Belgian euthanasia cases jumped 25 per cent in one year
It is now the cause of nearly one in 50 deaths in the country
A Belgian transsexual has chosen to die by euthanasia after a botched sex change operation to complete his transformation into a man left him a 'monster'.

Nathan Verhelst, 44, died yesterday afternoon after being allowed have his life ended on the grounds of 'unbearable psychological suffering'.

It is understood to be the first time someone in Belgium has chosen euthanasia after a sex-change, and comes soon after it emerged that it is now the cause of nearly one in 50 deaths in the country.

Mr Verhelst died after a lethal injection administered by the same doctor who last year ended the lives of congenitally deaf twins who were also going blind.


Born a girl named Nancy, his transformation into a man began with hormone therapy in 2009, followed by a mastectomy and finally an operation to construct a penis last year.

But the procedures did not go according to plan.

In the hours before his death he told Belgium's Het Laatse Nieuws: 'I was ready to celebrate my new birth. But when I looked in the mirror, I was disgusted with myself.


Heartbreaking end: It is understood to be the first time someone in Belgium has chosen euthanasia after a sex-change, and comes soon after it emerged that it is now the cause of nearly one in 50 deaths in the country.

'My new breasts did not match my expectations and my new penis had symptoms of rejection. I do not want to be... a monster.'

His family learned of his decision this morning via a farewell letter.

Mr Verhelst's decision comes amid a fierce debate over euthanasia in Belgium, where the number of deaths due to the controversial practice soared by 25 per cent last year.'



Official figures showed the numbers opting to end their lives leap from 1,133 in 2011 to 1,432 in 2012, a figure representing about two per cent of all deaths in the country.
Dr Distelmans told the Telegraph: 'The choice of Nathan Verhelst has nothing to do with fatigue of life.

'There are other factors that meant he was in a situation with incurable, unbearable suffering. Unbearable suffering for euthanasia can be both physical and psychological.

'This was a case that clearly met the conditions demanded by the law. Nathan underwent counseling for six months.'

Last week it emerged that a staggering one in 30 deaths in the Netherlands are now from euthanasia, after Dutch government allowed mobile death squads to kill sick and elderly people in their homes.

The country became the first in the world since Nazi Germany to legalise euthanasia when in 2002 it approved doctor-administered lethal drugs for terminally ill people facing unbearable suffering.

WHEN THE OPERATION DOESN'T GO AS PLANNED....
Suicide rates among transsexuals and those who have undergone gender reassignment surgery are high - but there are no clear figures. Some suggest the rate may be as high as 31 per cent.

Chris Hyde, professor of clinical epidemiology at the University of Exeter, who has studied some of the issues surrounding sex change operations, told MailOnline: ‘Research we conducted a decade ago found there is huge uncertainty over whether changing someone's sex is a good or a bad thing.

‘While no doubt great care is taken to ensure that appropriate patients undergo gender reassignment, there's still a large number of people who have the surgery but remain traumatised - often to the point of committing suicide.

‘While we haven’t looked at the situation since then, given the difficulties in researching this area, it is likely that the same issues remain today.’

Elsewhere, however, a study published in the journal BJU International found that most people who underwent male-to-female reassignment are happy, despite the complications such urinary problems and tissue death.

Jonathan C. Goddard, the head of the study, wrote: ‘Despite these problems, which were mainly minor and easily corrected by secondary surgery, 76 per cent of the patients who provided detailed feedback were happy with the cosmetic result of their surgery and 80 per cent said the surgery had met their expectations.’

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