During the program Choosing to Die , Sir Terry Pratchett and his assistant Rob interviewed two other Gentlemen besides Peter Smedley about Dignitas.
Mick, a former Taxi Driver, thought about visiting Dignitas when he was diagnosed with MND but decided to give the Hospice a chance.
When I watched the program Mick came across as being good natured and happy considering the circumstances. At the time of diagnosis Mick was only given 1-3 years, he has passed the intial 1-3 years 3 times over. Another Stephen Hawking? His progression seems slower than some. Mick even took the time to help raise the funds to pay for another nurse at the Hospice.
Mick has a great attitude. The last news file and video I found about him showed that he is totally dependent on the carers at the Hospice now. I wonder if he regrets not ending his life? If he had visited Dignitas he might of missed out on alot with his wife and kids.
The second gentleman's name was Andrew, a 42 year old Marine Biologist with Multiple Sclerosis. Andrew had a lot of pain and mobility issues associated with MS. He attempted suicide twice on his own before contacting Dignitas. Incidentally he would travel to Switzerland the same week as Peter Smedley. And like Peter, he chose to go ahead with drinking the Nembutal to end his life. Andrew's final moments were not televised like Peters as an attempt to maintain privacy. Or it could have been because Andrew's end was very long and drawn out.
Andrew's death took 90 minutes according to the interview his mom gave to the press. He continued to hang on long after going unresponsive from the Nembutal. The guides from Dignitas thought Andrew's mom being present caused this. Or Andrew's body reacted slow to the poison after taking strong medications for years. It must have been heart breaking for his family to witness this.
Andrew's mom wasn't too keen on the choice Andrew made. But she also felt she was being selfish if she tried to make him suffer longer to spare her feelings.
A lot of pro-choice supporters won't tell you about how long it took Andrew to die , but I will just to remain unbiased and truthful.
I believe under certain circumstances people should have the right to choose.
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