THE BRAVE BELLARINE MAN WHO HELPED CHANGE A LAW:
ASSISTED DYING NOW LEGAL
A BELLARINE Peninsula man who took his life 14 years ago while battling cancer has been hailed as a key figure in the state’s journey to legalising voluntary assisted dying.
Point Lonsdale’s Steve Guest, 58, ended his life in 2005 after consumption of barbiturate Nembutal.
In his last weeks, Mr Guest, who was battling oesophageal cancer, spoke out powerfully on his wish to end his pain and die with dignity.
Today, Victoria will become the first state in Australia to legalise voluntary assisted dying.
Leading dying with dignity advocate Rodney Syme ultimately provided Mr Guest the lethal drug.
The pair connected after Dr Syme heard him call in to talkback radio speaking about his wish to die with dignity.
He drove from Melbourne to Point Lonsdale to meet Mr Guest, and would eventually help grant his wish.
The case, which Dr Syme deemed “seminal” in launching the assisted dying debate, gained attention across Australia.
He described Mr Guest as “absolutely critical” in the journey to making assisted dying reality. It took five years for him to publicly admit he had provided the drug, in what he has described as a deliberate challenge to authority.
Dr Syme has been questioned by legal authorities about helping people to end their lives, but was never charged.
“Steve was incredibly brave guy,” said the man who was the president of Dying with Dignity Victoria for 10 years.
“He really created the circumstances for helping me to make what I would describe as a public challenge. It was a very slow challenge.
“The more I challenged authorities the more I realised they were bucking fast.
“I think the mounting pressure that developed over that had a very significant impact.”
Mr Guest’s brother, John, 77, is living with two cancers.
“The one in the liver is terminal, they tell me,” John said.
He said it was unclear how long he had left, but if necessary, the assisted dying laws were something he would use.
Reflecting on his brother’s death, John said that he recalled feeling tremendous relief when his brother revealed that he had obtained the drug that he needed to end his life.
When asked what Steve would think about the laws which come into effect today, John said: “I think he might be pleased. Proud even.”
Dr Syme recalled being “incredibly moved” by the bravery Steve Guest displayed in the last weeks of his life.
“Once he knew that he had control over the end of life and secondly that he had a purpose in the remaining days of his life — to change the law — that gave him strength and purpose,” he said.
Brothers John and Andrew slept in Steve’s living room the night Steve died.
John recalled waking the next day feeling “entirely relaxed”.
“I just thought, thank God that misery is over,” he said.