Noelia Castillo Ramos (2000–2026) was a Spanish woman who died after receiving euthanasia in Catalonia. Her request became a landmark case in Spain under the Organic Law Regulating Euthanasia. At 25, she was one of the youngest people to receive medical assistance in dying, after doctors confirmed chronic and irreversible pain following a suicide attempt. Her case drew wide public attention because of a legal battle lasting about two years, in which courts repeatedly upheld her right to the procedure against appeals brought by her father and a Christian lawyers' association.
Background and injury
Castillo's mental health was affected by her parents' separation and the loss of the family home when she was 13. She was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder and borderline personality disorder, and spent several years in social care before leaving voluntarily as an adult. In October 2022 she attempted suicide by jumping from a building, an event that left her with irreversible paraplegia, chronic physical pain, neurological damage and severe psychological suffering.
Legal battle and death
Castillo formally requested euthanasia in April 2024, and a regional commission approved it unanimously that July. Her father opposed the procedure with support from the Christian Lawyers Association, arguing that her personality disorder impaired her judgement. Courts rejected these appeals up to the Supreme Court of Spain and the European Court of Human Rights. She died on 26 March 2026 at a healthcare centre in Sant Pere de Ribes, in the Province of Barcelona, choosing to be alone in the room.