Ramón Sampedro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ramón Sampedro
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| Born |
Ramón Sampedro Cameán
5 January 1943 |
| Died | 12 January 1998 (aged 55) Boiro, Galicia, Spain
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| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Seaman |
| Known for | Right-to-die case |
Ramón Sampedro Cameán (5 January 1943 – 12 January 1998) was a Spanish seaman and writer. Sampedro became a quadriplegic at the age of 25 (on 23 August 1968), following a diving accident, and fought for his right to assisted dying for the following 29 years.
Death and aftermath
Sampedro died on Monday 12 January 1998 in Boiro, Spain. Several days later, his close friend Ramona Maneiro was arrested and charged with assisting his death. Maneiro was released due to lack of evidence. No further charges were ever filed in connection with Sampedro's death.
Seven years later, after the statute of limitations had expired, Maneiro, speaking on a Spanish talk show, admitted to providing Sampedro with a poisonous drink and a straw. She said "I did it for love." She also said she had turned on the video camera that recorded Sampedro's last words before he drank the poison and that she was in the room, behind the camera.
In popular culture
The story of Sampedro's life and death has been made into two Spanish films:
- Condenado a vivir (English: Condemned to Live) (2001) is a TV-movie jointly produced by FORTA, the association of the public broadcasting regional networks of Spain, directed by Roberto Bodegas, where Sampedro was played by Galician actor Ernesto Chao.
- The Sea Inside (2004), directed by Alejandro Amenábar, in which he was portrayed by Javier Bardem. The movie drew international attention and won the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 77th Academy Awards.
The storyline of the 2010 Bollywood film Guzaarish is similar to that of Mar adentro.
Sampedro wrote a book before he died, titled Cartas desde el infierno. It includes a collection of poems, short essays, and reflections on life from Sampedro's point of view. After the release of Mar adentro, it was edited again. As of 2005[update], 100,000 copies of the book have been sold.
Spanish singer-songwriter Andrés Suárez wrote a song inspired by Sampedro's life, titled "Marinero," which was included on his 2007 album Maneras de romper una ola.
See also
In Spanish: Ramón Sampedro para niños
