PediatricDigest

PediatricDigest

Wednesday, 1 May 2024

Jonathan Dimbleby And Susan Hampshire Give Their Support To Esther Rantzen’s Assisted Dying Campaign

Following Dame Esther Rantzen's support of the assisted dying movement, celebrities and activists will assemble in Westminster for a debate on the topic. Rantzen is a cancer patient. Dame Susan Hampshire, broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby, an…
Read on blog or Reader
Site logo image THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO Read on blog or Reader

Jonathan Dimbleby And Susan Hampshire Give Their Support To Esther Rantzen's Assisted Dying Campaign

Angela Lloyd

May 1

Following Dame Esther Rantzen's support of the assisted dying movement, celebrities and activists will assemble in Westminster for a debate on the topic. Rantzen is a cancer patient.

Dame Susan Hampshire, broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby, and seasoned activist Peter Tatchell are anticipated to be among the prominent individuals in attendance.

Pro-change campaign group My Death, My Decision described it as a 'significant moment in the campaign for a compassionate assisted dying law'.

It comes after a petition for a debate gained more than 200,000 signatures and was promoted by Dame Esther, who has stage four lung cancer and has signed up for the Dignitas assisting dying clinic in Switzerland.

The Childline founder, 83, previously led a chorus of dismay after a report by MPs into assisted dying failed to deliver any clear-cut findings or proposals—and called for a free vote on the issue.

Speaking to ITV News Dame Esther said: 'I had three deaths that happened very soon after each other. There was Desy (Desmond), my husband, there was my mother and there was our dog and there's no question my dog had the best death.'

'We can offer our beloved pets a pain-free death and we can't offer it to our beloved family.'

Dame Esther has branded the current law, which she said could see her family left at risk of prosecution if they helped her to go to Switzerland, as 'not right' and 'not ethical'. 

Last week, Dame Esther said she would 'sadly' be unable to attend Monday's event in person because of her health, but vowed she 'will be watching the debate closely as it affects my own decision to go to Dignitas in Zurich if necessary, to protect my family from witnessing a painful death'.

Dame Esther's daughter Rebecca Wilcox told GMB this morning that they had always been a 'revoltingly open family about everything'.

She added: 'This woman is my person, she's my best friend, I talk to her four times a day about everything and I adore her.

'But if I go with her to Switzerland I face prosecution, the process can take up to two years, cost thousands of pounds in legal fees and I face up to 14 years in prison.'

Paul Carroll, who had signed up with Dignitas, told GMB that he ripped up his membership after seeing his aunt, his mother and his mother-in-law through to the end of their lives. 

This needs to happen. I can understand that some people might have some worries over it, but when you have seen so many people suffer and die from various diseases first-hand, you begin to realise how vital this option is. Every human being should have the right to choose when the time comes, to pass away with dignity on their own terms.

The only legal problem that I see is that patients with dementia cannot make their own decisions because they lack the mental capacity, and if it were made legal, make no mistake, many families would be encouraging their elderly relatives to make this decision because money affects people in a disturbing way.

There should be a referendum in the UK on this matter because it is far too significant to let MPs vote freely on.

The decision to die or not should only be made by the individual experiencing excruciating agony because it is their body and their choice. Most definitely not a group of inexperienced Members of Parliament.

I wholeheartedly support this cause. Why do we let humans suffer but we wouldn't let an animal suffer?

Comment
Like
You can also reply to this email to leave a comment.

THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO © 2024. Manage your email settings or unsubscribe.

WordPress.com and Jetpack Logos

Get the Jetpack app

Subscribe, bookmark, and get real-time notifications - all from one app!

Download Jetpack on Google Play Download Jetpack from the App Store
WordPress.com Logo and Wordmark title=

Automattic, Inc. - 60 29th St. #343, San Francisco, CA 94110  

at May 01, 2024
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest

No comments:

Post a Comment

Newer Post Older Post Home
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Latest from Food Politics: Trick or Treat: Happy Halloween Candy!

Halloween, no matter its origins and promotion of costumes, means only one thing to the candy industry: sales. And plenty of detailed resear...

  • 8/21 Free Webinar on De-Escalation and Safety
    The Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (NW MHTTC) is offering a ...
  • [New post] 🔥On Fire! Day 1 ✅ #TheMarchCharge2022
    drvolcanoe posted: " " Respond to this post by replying above this line ...
  • Buying a house in 2024: What’s changed?
    By Abby Badach Doyle | NerdWalletAt the risk of jinxing it, things are looking u...

Search This Blog

  • Home

About Me

PodiatryDigest
View my complete profile

Report Abuse

Blog Archive

  • October 2025 (32)
  • September 2025 (33)
  • August 2025 (36)
  • July 2025 (40)
  • June 2025 (24)
  • May 2025 (17)
  • April 2025 (16)
  • March 2025 (16)
  • February 2025 (11)
  • January 2025 (6)
  • December 2024 (8)
  • November 2024 (8)
  • October 2024 (8)
  • September 2024 (1481)
  • August 2024 (1712)
  • July 2024 (2057)
  • June 2024 (2105)
  • May 2024 (2319)
  • April 2024 (2069)
  • March 2024 (2286)
  • February 2024 (2422)
  • January 2024 (2539)
  • December 2023 (1955)
  • November 2023 (1449)
  • October 2023 (1186)
  • September 2023 (1072)
  • August 2023 (826)
  • July 2023 (771)
  • June 2023 (793)
  • May 2023 (829)
  • April 2023 (707)
  • March 2023 (753)
  • February 2023 (673)
  • January 2023 (752)
  • December 2022 (706)
  • November 2022 (731)
  • October 2022 (701)
  • September 2022 (694)
  • August 2022 (716)
  • July 2022 (752)
  • June 2022 (845)
  • May 2022 (1011)
  • April 2022 (1138)
  • March 2022 (596)
  • February 2022 (423)
  • January 2022 (449)
  • December 2021 (581)
  • November 2021 (1495)
  • October 2021 (1539)
  • September 2021 (1455)
  • August 2021 (196)
Powered by Blogger.