Four people who accompanied someone to Switzerland have called on politicians to introduce a safe and compassionate assisted dying in the UK.
Their calls coincide with Report Stage of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, where MPs will debate potential changes to the assisted dying Bill.
Antony Shackleton died in December, aged 59, in Switzerland. Antony suffered from Motor Neurone Disease for six years, slowly losing autonomy. Louise says: ‘Every activity he enjoyed was slowly taken away from him’. He chose to die as he could not bear the horrific death that MND promised him. Antony died peacefully, gracefully, and in complete calm. Pleading to politicians to support the Bill, Louise continues:
‘I have been through the Dignitas process by the side of my husband. It is thorough, it is lengthy, it is considerate, it is a choice. Dignitas data shows that people who achieve “the provisional green light” mainly find peace that they have the option, but they do not always take up the choice of an assisted death. Just the comfort of the option is enough for them. You have the power to be human to relieve pain and suffering. Please use your vote wisely for all our sakes.’
Dave Sowry’s wife, Christy, died at Dignitas in 2022, aged 62, after struggling with the impact of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) on her life. Christy was an academic researcher and was diagnosed with MS in 1994, aged 35. The early years of her diagnosis were minor and manageable, but Dave recalls the steady decline that started a few years after their marriage in 2006. Christy, a fiercely independent woman, found it hard as her freedom was slowly being taken away from her. Dave recalls her saying: ‘I would rather be dead than lose total control.’ In February 2022, Christy applied to become a member of Dignitas. She wrote in her diary:
‘Feeling an enormous sense of relief at the possibility of assisted dying. Realise I have been under an enormous amount of pressure living under a cloud of fear for two years now. There seem to be new symptoms every week. I’ve been independent all my life. It’s the loss of this (more than the loss of my legs) that is hardest to bear.’
Sue Lawford was arrested at 05.30, put in a cell and held for 19 hours, and then subjected to a six-month police investigation, for escorting a woman to receive a medically assisted death in Switzerland. The person she assisted was 60-year-old Sharon Johnston from Cardigan, who became tetraplegic following a fall at her previous home in Aberystwyth. Sharon spoke publicly about her wish to have an assisted death in 2021 BBC documentary When Would You Want to Die? Humanists UK arranged her participation.
Sara Starkey travelled to Switzerland in 2017 with her husband Andrew Tyler, 70, who suffered from advanced Parkinson’s Disease. She says there was no panic and no regret about the decision as the day of Andrew’s death neared, saying: ‘You’re sort of like in a film. I think you just get on with it because that’s the way humans are.’ Sara describes Andrew’s death as ‘peaceful’ and said that she held his hand the whole way through.
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For further comment or information, media should contact Nathan Stilwell at nathan@humanists.uk or phone 07456 200033 (Media only).
Humanists defend the right of each individual to live by their own personal values, and the freedom to make decisions about their own life so long as this does not result in harm to others. Humanists do not share the attitudes to death and dying held by some religious believers, in particular that the manner and time of death are for a deity to decide, and that interference in the course of nature is unacceptable. We firmly uphold the right to life but we recognise that this right carries with it the right of each individual to make their own judgement about whether their life should be prolonged in the face of pointless suffering.
We recognise that any assisted dying law must contain strong safeguards, but the international evidence from countries where assisted dying is legal shows that safeguards can be effective. We also believe that the choice of assisted dying should not be considered an alternative to palliative care, but should be offered together as in many other countries.
Read more about our campaign to legalise assisted dying in the UK.
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