Terminally Ill Club Brugge Fan Puts Off Euthanasia-Clinic Visit for Final Match

There was a touching yet saddening moment over the weekend in Belgium's top tier of football. 

Club Brugge won 3-0 over Mouscron-Peruwelz to maintain the their lead atop the table, but it meant much more to one Club Brugge-supporting family. 

Laurenzo "Lorre" Schoonbaert, a terminally ill lifelong fan of the club, was scheduled to visit a euthanasia clinic but postponed the appointment in order to watch Club Brugge in their local derby. Schoonbaert had undergone 37 unsuccessful surgeries over the past 20 years. 

He put off his appointment (euthanasia laws are more liberal in Belgium than they are most countries) so he could visit Jan Breydel Stadium with his family once more. 

"This is my dearest wish before I die to see my team win one more game," he wrote on Facebook, as per the Mirror. 

And the club pulled out all the stops for him. 

He watched the match from a VIP area with his daughter Dina (seven) and was met with support from all directions.  

Supporters met him with a sign that read, "YNWA (You'll Never Walk Alone) Lorre."

Afterward, he told the local newspaper (h/t Who Ate All the Pies), "I am unbelievably happy now—this will be a treasured memory for my daughter which she can enjoy all her life.

"My last dream has come true. I can die in peace now. I will celebrate from heaven." 

Goalkeeper Maty Ryan met Lorre and posted a picture of the moment on his Twitter account. 

His family confirmed the next day via Facebook that Lorre had gone through with the visit to the clinic. 

"As he himself said, we must look up...there we will see a star that shines, that's Lorre. 

"He will forever be treasured, loved and missed...Lorretje was brave until the last minute, had everything under control and had enjoyed his last moments with people who were close to his heart." 

[Mirror, h/t Who Ate All the Pies]