Dying in Dignity

28/05/2008

I read the article by Alison Davis about voluntary euthanasia with interest. I myself have cerebral palsy and sleep apnoea and need a lot of care. I use a wheelchair full time. Many people have been totally horrified by me being pro-assisted suicide, probably because I'm disabled.

 

I don't live in a residential home myself, but I've been in various care homes so that my main carers can have a break.    During my stays I've seen people screaming & crying for help that they weren't getting.  No carers bothered to even try to have a conversation with them.  I heard one lady who had wet herself being shouted at.  It really frightened and upset me.  Due to my own needs I couldn't help the other residents either and to be honest I shouldn't even have to; that's why carers are employed in the first place.

 

I have many interests and being in a place where people are so bored

they find a trip to the toilet makes a change is not my idea of living.  I have a good, enjoyable life with family and friends and my lovely pets around me now but I'm well aware that could change at any given time. I may not be ill but my future scares me so much that I intend to have an advanced directive anyway.

 

I don't see why the law allows suffering pets to die but not humans (if I was one of my cats I'd have been put down by now) I believe that anyone who wants to die who cannot do the deed themselves should be allowed to be helped on their way. I also believe that anyone who truly wants to die can't be talked out of it.

 

It is easy to say if the lives of disabled people like myself were improved, nobody would want to die in the first place. This is easier said than done. I've lost count of the various people over the years who have told me I have the right to do this or that without actually doing anything to help me to do it. We do need to focus on improving facilities, but that is a lengthy process that can't happen overnight.

 

C. Muncaster

 

Huntingdon