Malaga woman suffering from incurable conditions fulfils two bucket-list dreams before assisted dying

Health

Alida Azabal, who has postponed her approved right to die, swims with sea lions and visits Valencia's Oceanogràfic with her mother

Eugenio Cabezas

Alida Azabal, the 25-year-old woman from Rincón who has been granted, but has postponed, the right to assisted dying, has been travelling with her ... mother, Virginia Martín, to fulfil two dreams before she decides the date for the euthanasia, which was granted in November 2025.

One of those dreams was to swim with sea lions at Río Safari, in Elche (Valencia). Virginia explained to SUR how for a few hours, her daughter rediscovered pure, untroubled happiness: "It had been a long time since I'd seen her so happy," says the mother, still surprised by the intensity of that moment.

Alida Azabal is spending a few happy days in Valencia and Elche before deciding whether to go ahead with the euthanasia authorised last November

Their second dream has taken them to Valencia city, where Alida wanted to visit the Oceanogràfic. This is no ordinary trip, nor is it an impromptu getaway: it is a long break, carefully planned, with support, a wheelchair, accumulated fatigue and the conviction that every day gained counts as a small victory.

"I hope she'll want to keep making her dreams come true, although she tells me she's so tired of hospitals, operations, admissions, treatments and medication, and that she doesn't want to keep fighting," Virginia explains, her voice breaking.

The mother and daughter are being supported on this journey by volunteers who have responded to their appeal via social media and SUR: Mariana Martín, Mar Díaz (at Río Safari), Antonio Castelo: "he's come all the way from Galicia and is going to drive us back to Malaga," Virginia explained – and Javier Pizarro.

The campsite in Santa Pola, where they have been staying for a few days, has been made possible thanks to the support of local people, and the Oceanogràfic has invited them to visit.

Virginia talks about the trips with the gratitude of someone who knows she is not on holiday, but rather enjoying a precious respite in the midst of a much longer battle. "You Valencians are amazing," said Alida after swimming with the sea lions in Elche – a simple phrase that sums up the impact the small gestures of those they have met along the way are having on them.

A list of more than 50 wishes

Alida's story was published just a few days ago in SUR, which reported that the young woman from Rincón de la Victoria had asked for help in fulfilling several of her more than 50 wishes before she dies, which her mother had been compiling since she was a child. Virginia explained at the time that euthanasia has been approved but postponed, because Alida wants to continue having new experiences while her body and mind still allow her to do so.

Alida had already swum with the sea lions in 2019, but she wanted to return before making a final decision about her life. Virginia insists that it wasn't just about repeating an experience, but about reconnecting, even if only for a short while, with a feeling of complete happiness, the sort that her illness has gradually robbed her of through pain, hospital admissions and treatments.

Alida suffers from a neurodegenerative mitochondrial disorder and Aicardi-Goutières syndrome, two incurable conditions that have gradually undermined her health, leaving her in a state of severe dependency, with constant pain and a life dependent on round-the-clock medical care.

"We don't want to think about it"

Her mother, who also suffers from a serious illness and uses a wheelchair, has taken on the role of companion, advocate and source of support. "Right now, given how happy we are, we don't want to think about it," says the mother, referring to euthanasia, although she acknowledges that the decision remains on the table, driven by the exhaustion of a daughter who is worn out by hospitals, operations, medication and suffering.

And yet, in the midst of it all, the trip to Valencia has been a breath of fresh air for Alida, who still wants to see the city, continue to enjoy these days and perhaps, further down the line, fulfil other wishes that are also part of her list: the beach, a nightclub, meeting up with friends, or even the chance to meet the Catalan footballer Dani Olmo in the autumn. "I hope he'll be a World Cup winner," says her mother, referring to this coming Sunday's final against Argentina.

The family has also expressed their gratitude for the support of volunteers and people who have offered to help them along this journey, from those who have helped with transport to those who have helped spread the word about their story. A discreet yet steadfast network has formed around Alida, built on empathy, messages of support and a sense of solidarity which, on difficult days, acts as a lifeline.

The story of these days is not one of a farewell, but of a young woman who has decided to hold on, for as long as she can, to everything that still makes her smile. In Elche and Valencia, among the sea lions, dolphins, belugas and pelicans, interacting with them, Alida is experiencing more than just a journey: she is living life to the full with the calm dignity of someone who knows that every dream fulfilled is also a form of resistance.