London tabloid The Daily Mail has published a powerful testimony from a TV host affirming the dignity of human life: “Why I am opposed to euthanasia after 14 years of caring for mum.”
Charlie Ottley’s mother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an aggressive form of cancer of the plasma cells, and was expected to have no more than four years to live. Instead, she is now approaching the world record for survival of the disease, having held on for 14 years — and Ottley, a 37-year-old travel expert and poetry writer for TV and radio, has put his career on hold so that he may be her primary caretaker. He rents a cottage across the street from her so that she may receive care in her own house, as her wish is to die at home.
In the story, Ottley tells how his experience has turned him against euthanasia:
I believe it’s worth fighting for every moment of life – which is why I was so dismayed to hear in the past few days that there are 800 British people on a waiting list for Dignitas, an organisation in Switzerland that helps ill people end their lives.
Last week, it emerged that peers [in the House of Lords] are to debate a proposal to remove the threat of prosecution from family members who help their relatives to end their lives prematurely. It’s a controversial topic, but I can tell you that after years of caring for my grievously ill mother, I am more opposed to euthanasia than ever.
Apart from anything else, I owe it to such a remarkable woman to do all I can to prolong her life. [Read the full article.]
Here in the United States, Americans United for Life is taking the lead in the fight against a district-court ruling in Montana that permitted assisted suicide in that state. We’ve created a special Web page to keep you informed of our efforts in the case, which is currently on appeal to Montana’s Supreme Court.
LEARN MORE: Read about AUL’s work to preserve human dignity at the end of life in the latest edition of our annual legislative guide Defending Life.
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