Clive wants to talk to LAURA !

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing in response to a newspaper article regarding the young woman (24) named Laura.

My concern is that she may have been granted the right to euthanasia before all possibilities have been exhausted.

Please let me explain:

I am now 58 years old with two daughters slightly older than Laura (27 and 29).

Up to the age of 49 I suffered various depressive episodes. It is indeed fair to say that depression determined my life choices.

For an unbroken period of 6 1/2 years I underwent various treatments for depression and sought the help of a total of 6 experts in Germany where I am now resident.

The list of substances I was given is extensive. Not all of the substances listed below are antidepressants. However, for the purpose of an overview, the list will suffice:Nothing worked for me. In one case I went to a psychiatrist as a depressive and, due to the side effects of the medication, ended up being labelled a manic depressive.

The situation gradually worsened until I experienced depersonalisation. It was at this point that I resolved to research the subject of depression myself. I was fortunate enough to chance upon a publication by Timothy C. Birdsall http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9727088 .

At the time I was able to access the full text. Currently only an abstract is visible to the general public although the full version is still available free of charge. Birdsall's text referenced studies conducted using 5-HTP (L-5-hydroxytryptophan).

5-HTP is an extract derived from a plant in West Africa. Its efficacy can be put down to the tryptophan which is converted by the body into serotonin. To aid conversion I additionally use a vitamin and mineral extract. I also had to apply the cautionary principle because a mania had been induced in me (I have only ever suffered a mania within the framework of the treatment for depression). As a modulator I use an Omega 3-6-9 extract which can similarly be bought at a chemist's.

Before taking 5-HTP I too was battling for life and was plagued by suicidal thoughts.

I know from conversations with psychiatrists in Germany that even the younger experts generally have no clinical experience in the use of 5-HTP. Due to this knowledge deficit, 5-HTP is rarely even tried. I apologize in advance should my assumption be incorrect, but I assume on the basis of my extensive experience here in Germany that the same is probably true in Belgium.

Without having explored this possibility it cannot be claimed that all options for Laura have been explored. In fact it would appear legally unsound to grant euthanasia until it can be demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that there is indeed no other option for this young lady.

There is no panacea for depression. I am not claiming that 5-HTP is a cure-all. Such a claim would be irresponsible in the extreme given the complexity of the condition. It remains my hope, however, that the treatment outlined in the above may at least offer Laura a lifeline. It has proved to be a lifeline for me and has enabled me to help others who had also exhausted the possibilities offered by the medical establishment.

In the light of the above, I request that those treating Laura be contacted immediately. All I can do now is offer my heartfelt sympathy and the information provided in the above.

Yours sincerely,

Clive Parker