A woman in Belgium has died after she refused being put on a ventilator, telling doctors to save it for younger patients.
Suzanne Hoylaerts was first taken to her doctor for loss of appetite and shortness of breath before she was hospitalized for COVID-19.
While in isolation, she reportedly told doctors: “I don’t want to use artificial respiration. Save it for younger patients. I already had a good life," Fox News and other media outlets are reporting.
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Doctors told her daughter, Judith, about her mother’s apparent final wishes, The New Zealand Herald and Het Laatste Nieuws reported.
Suzanne Hoylaerts, 90, sick from #COVID2019 refused the breathing assistance. She told the doctors : "I had a good life, keep it for the younger ones".
— Nicolas Quénel (@NicolasQuenel) March 27, 2020
She died few days ago.
We will not forget her sacrifice.https://t.co/UH2odgAH5t
Hoylaerts died March 22, Het Laatste Nieuws reported.
Belgium has at least 12,775 cases of coronavirus, with 705 deaths, as of Tuesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
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Hoylaerts’ family is not sure where she picked up the virus, 7 sur 7, a Belgian news organization, reported.
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