The day he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, Yannick knew his life would end with euthanasia. He chose to die at 44 because ALS left him paralysed. He still loved his life, even to the last day.
It all started in December 2023, when he lost strength in his right arm and his pinky finger was going in all directions. His GP thought it was a nerve blockage and prescribed physiotherapy. After no change, he demanded a neurologist. In April 2024, at age 41, he was diagnosed with ALS - a terminal condition that would progressively paralyse him. "It was a shock," he says. "I had to lie down for 10 minutes."
Rather than curl up in a ball, Yannick embarked on a year-long world tour - northern Europe, Burning Man in the US, the Day of the Dead in Mexico, Taiwan, Japan. All in first or business class, all in five-star hotels. His life and income protection insurance turned out to be life-changing: it helped fund the trip.
In the last six months, nerve pain made touching soft fabric feel like burning. His swallowing and breathing deteriorated. About a month ago, he needed 24/7 care. He chose his 44th birthday - 20 April - as his exit date because he was losing his voice and wanted to use it to say goodbye.
Remarkably, no one tried to talk him out of euthanasia - not even religious friends. "They were respectful and understood that only I know what it's like to live with my disease," he says.
Yannick, who grew up in Le Chesnay, France, studied mathematics, slacked off, then earned a master's in internet technology and landed a job at Google in Paris. He transferred to Sydney at 33, loved the beach and safety. He never married or had kids, but says he had "a good single man's life" - partying, travel, and painting. At 39, he became an artist and held an exhibition within a year.
The day before he died, he threw a big party. The theme: dress up as something related to him - something he loves, something he hates. He wore a T-shirt reading "I am faking it, stupid." There were performances and a crepe stand. He says death is "from dust, to dust" and would be happy to be proven wrong if there's something after. "Life is amazing because it ends," he says. "I've had a great life with a lot of people who love me - I've been really lucky."