Gillian - Interview 37  

Gillian - Interview 37

Age at Interview: 52
Sex: Female
Background: Gillian, a consultant, lives with her partner. Ethnic background/nationality: White English

Brief outline:Gillian’s father, aged 84, had an incurable disease. His motor neurone function was getting progressively worse. He needed constant care, and wanted an assisted death. In 2008 his family took him to Switzerland, where Dignitas helped him to die.

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Female
Gillian believes that people living in the UK should have the right to an assisted death.

 



Is there, is there something that you would want GPs, nurses, policy makers in the UK to, to know, to understand from your experience?


Well, yes, I’d like them to understand that some people want to end their lives, you know, there is, for whatever reason, you know, and, and it’s their reason. And that I don’t see that other people should be so judgmental, and that they shouldn’t assist them to do it. And that they make them do it in many horrible ways. My father was very lucky. He did it in a very nice way. But some people have to throw themselves off cliffs or under trains or on the tube or all sorts of dreadful, dreadful; drink, you know, drink poisons rather than some medication. I think it’s appalling. And, you know, if, and I don’t understand anyone’s moral or religious objection to it. Because to me it’s a person’s right. And, and I think people should respect that and help enable it.

Bereavement due to suicide
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