The Voice of the Patient in Euthanasia

There comes a point where medicine can’t defy death. Generally speaking, medicine is awkward around death. It has been fashioned to cajole life to avoid death—and I’m grateful for this—but, at the end of the day, death is inevitable for everyone. No one escapes it.

Whilst I currently live with a vibrant zest for life, knowing that I live with metastatic breast cancer affords me, every now and again, thoughts of what my death might be like.

My fears around my pre-empted experience of death pertain to worries about being over-medicalised. I don’t want my experience of death to be obscured because of this. I want to be able to remain connected to life even as I let go of it.

With medical intervention, Dr Christopher Kerr, an American palliative care doctor and author of Death Is But A Dream, wrote:

“It has become easier to live longer but harder to die well.”

And that resonates deeply with me.

Whose Voice Matters Most?

What I feel strongly about is the voice of the only person that matters at the time of death: the person who is dying.

Science and medicine are very limited when it comes to the subjective dimensions of dying. For me, I want my death to be a human experience, not one diluted by drug-induced fog that strips away all that I was, and am, in those final moments.

What I hope is that those caring for me in the medical profession can step back—to facilitate and support my family, enabling their love for me, and my love for them, to be expressed in all the unique ways it will unfold.

The Role of Voluntary Assisted Dying

Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) is not about hastening death for the sake of it. It’s about providing choice, a sense of control, and a way to honour the wishes of those who are dying.

For many, just knowing that the option exists provides profound peace. As one doctor who administers VAD affirmed, only 3% of those approved for VAD go on to use it. That statistic speaks volumes:

• It shows that VAD is not about giving up on life.

• It creates a safety net for those who fear loss of dignity, autonomy, or unbearable suffering during their final days.

Palliative care is a remarkable field—it has eased the passage for countless people. But it is not infallible.

There are times when even the best palliative care cannot fully relieve pain or existential suffering. For some, the thought of enduring unrelenting agony is unbearable.

VAD offers a compassionate alternative—one that respects the individual’s right to choose how they meet their end.

Grace and Peace in the Final Chapter

For me, the idea of VAD is not a rejection of life, but rather an embrace of death with grace and peace.

It is about writing my final chapter in a way true to who I am and what I value most. I want to be present. I want to feel the love of my family. And I want to leave this world in a way that honours the life I have lived.

Because death is not merely a medical event—it is a deeply human one.
It is a time when love, connection, and meaning take centre stage.

VAD, for those who choose it, can help preserve these sacred elements. It can ensure that dying is not overshadowed by fear, pain, or a loss of self.

A Conversation About Life

Ultimately, the conversation about VAD is not just about death—it is about life.

It is about respecting the wishes of those who are dying and allowing them the dignity of facing their final moments on their own terms.

For me, that is the ultimate act of compassion and grace.