Give terminally ill the right to choose to die
Your interview last week with Alex Pandolfo – a 63-year-old dementia sufferer who wants to choose when to die and plans to go to an assisted suicide centre in Switzerland to do it – was very moving.
Anyone who has seen a dementia sufferer go through years of torment would surely agree with Mr Pandolfo’s decision, and if they themselves fell victim to dementia they too might want to end their life when they choose to, before the final stages of this cruel illness.
I saw my father die of motor neurone disease. If he had known about a place called Dignitas, he would have gone – I know that for sure. His life in the last six months of his illness was pure torture. And his family watching him suffer were tortured too.
Although I loved my father dearly and wanted him around as long as possible, I would willingly have joined him on that journey to Switzerland.
All terminally ill patients should have the right to a doctorassisted suicide. Genna Burton, Corwen, North Wales Surely it’s time for terminally ill patients who request it to be given help to die. Doctors intervene in all stages of life – take heart transplants and IVF, for example – so why can’t they use their skills to help at the end of life? Name and address supplied I was shocked and saddened to read Mr Pandolfo’s story. What all our dementia sufferers need is love and help until they die naturally, not the option to play God and have a quick way out of life. Let’s all hope Alex will start to see the light, and that our scientists will find a breakthrough to give comfort to the many families affected by dementia.
We should never give up hope. David Courtney, Weston-super-Mare Alex Gandolfo tells us of his dementia, which will eventually deprive him of his ‘self’ and leave him unable to do even basic human things and not recognise his family. If Alex chooses to have an assisted death, who has the right to deny him that? Carol Esplin, Narborough, Leicestershire The majority of older voters and, I suspect, younger ones too, want legislation that would normalise ‘assisted dying’. But it has not happened – an excellent example of the increasing disconnect between the Government and the people in our so-called democracy. Dr A. P. J. Lake, Ellesmere, Shropshire