A couple in the Netherlands, who had spent their lives together since childhood, has died side by side in a case of double euthanasia.

Jan Faber, 70, and Els van Leeningen, 71, were married for nearly five decades and chose to end their lives through lethal injection in early June.

The couple was surrounded by friends and family in their final moments, including their son, who found it challenging to accept their decision, the Daily Mail reports. “You don’t want to let your parents die,” Jan said, describing his son’s reaction. “There have been tears — our son said, ‘Better times will come, better weather’ — but not for me.”

Jan had been suffering from severe back pain for more than 20 years, while Els was diagnosed with dementia in 2022, which severely impacted her ability to communicate. “I’ve lived my life, I don’t want pain anymore,” Jan told the BBC. “The life we’ve lived, we’re getting old [for it]. We think it has to be stopped.”

Jan and Els first met in kindergarten and shared a lifelong partnership. Jan played hockey for the Netherlands’ national youth team and later trained as a sports coach, while Els became a primary school teacher. They had a passion for the sea and spent much of their lives living on boats, the Mail reported.

While Els continued working as a teacher, Jan’s physical limitations and the resulting lower quality of life led the couple to consider assisted dying. They joined NVVE, the Netherlands’ ‘right to die’ organization. Els retired in 2018 and began showing early signs of dementia, a disease that afflicted her father.