April 15, 2025
A British-Ghanian artist is documenting his journey to legally assisted demise within the Netherlands.
Artist Joseph Awuah-Darko is drawing dialog from his documented journey of pursuing legally assisted demise within the Netherlands.
The British-Ghanaian artist, who has lengthy struggled with treatment-resistant bipolar dysfunction, moved to the Netherlands, the place assisted euthanasia for psychiatric circumstances is permitted. Since asserting his choice to pursue a legally assisted demise in December 2024, Awuah-Darko, 28, has acquired a variety of reactions on social media.
“What normally occurs once you cry on the web is that individuals bully you and create memes out of your ugly crying,” he advised USA At the moment in late March. “To my shock and a little bit of my bemusement, that didn’t occur to me.”
Sharing his path towards assisted demise isn’t new territory for Awuah-Darko, who has overtly documented his expertise with bipolar dysfunction for years. After 5 years of contemplating assisted dying, he’s now pursuing the choice publicly, citing insufferable psychological struggling as the explanation.
“Hello,” he mentioned in his preliminary video announcement. “I’m Joseph. I’m bipolar, and I moved to the Netherlands to legally finish my life. I’m not particular. I’m simply prepared.”
Whereas some critics accused him of “romanticizing suicide,” hundreds of others responded with compassion—inviting Awuah-Darko to share a meal. The overwhelming outreach impressed him to launch the “Final Supper Mission,” a world tour of dinners with strangers.
As he awaits a call on his euthanasia request, he’s already shared 93 meals and acquired greater than 4,000 invites. His journey has taken him to cities like Paris, Milan, Brussels, and Berlin, the place individuals join with him—some hoping to shift his perspective, others merely providing love and presence earlier than his doable farewell.
“Dinner is a really, if not probably the most, intimate and intentional a part of anybody’s day,” he says. “For me, that has simply been a particular means of fostering exceptional relationships and connections in the course of the time I’ve left.”
Awuah-Darko, who has beforehand tried suicide, describes himself as “only one individual amongst tens of millions” dwelling with bipolar dysfunction and continual suicidal ideas. Conscious of the facility of social media, the artist is utilizing it to amplify a private story in hopes of sparking wider conversations.
“If individuals select to see it as romanticizing, I feel that extra displays on them,” he mentioned.
If you happen to or somebody you understand is fighting ideas of suicide or emotional misery, you’re not alone—and assist is obtainable. Within the U.S., you possibly can name or textual content 988 to achieve the Suicide & Disaster Lifeline, which offers free, confidential help 24/7. It doesn’t matter what you’re going by way of, there are individuals who care and are able to hear. Your life issues.
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