WHEN a parent falls ill, it is only natural for their children to urge them to seek medical treatment.
However, one woman in her 50s refuses to budge on her stance against seeking medical attention, despite her illness and her family’s persistent pleas.
“Of course I know I’m sick. I feel every subtle change in my body more clearly than anyone else.
“I cough through the night and can’t sleep. My bones ache from time to time, and even my favourite dishes have lost their flavour. I’m fully aware of all this,” she said in an anonymous confession posted on Facebook.
A major reason the mother insists on not going to the hospital is her fear of “being alive without truly living”.
“More than half of my life is behind me. Shouldn’t the days I have left be lived freely, instead of being tortured by illness and endless treatments?” she wrote.
The anonymous woman shared that she had spent her youth putting others first — avoiding medical treatment to save money for the family and always prioritising her loved ones’ needs over her own.
“I worked a job I didn’t enjoy for decades. To allow my husband to focus on his career, I took on all the housework and responsibilities alone.
“Now, they think I should endure even more pain just to ‘stay alive’,” she added.
She further explained that she wanted to spend her remaining years on her own terms — not being “defined” by illness — and doing things she loves, such as embroidery, gardening, and enjoying the sun.
“They all think I’m being stubborn, but what they don’t see is – I’m just tired.
“Life has already been like this. Please, just let me decide how I want to walk the final stretch of my road,” she concluded.
Although the woman did not disclose the nature of her illness, many commenters urged her to talk openly with her family about her decision. They also encouraged her to consider her children’s feelings, pointing out that they simply did not want to lose their mother.
Others, however, empathised with her choice, seeing it as an act of asserting autonomy — choosing to live for herself. They emphasised the importance of communicating her wishes clearly so that her decision would be understood and respected by her loved ones.
