'He drinks a liquid, falls into a deep sleep and dies'

[Gob]

The BBC will next week air a controversial documentary where a motor neurone disease sufferer takes his own life.



Sitting on a sofa with his wife at his side, viewers will see Peter drink a liquid, fall into a deep sleep and then die. The five-minute sequence, filmed at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland, is part of a forthcoming BBC2 programme fronted by Sir Terry Pratchett. The corporation has defended its decision to film Peter's last moments as part of its exploration into the realities of assisted death. BBC commissioning editor for documentaries Charlotte Moore said she did not believe the 'carefully edited but unflinching' scene could have been left out. She said: 'It is an extremely powerful and challenging scene - raw yet moving - but above all it is honest. 'Some people may question why we included this scene in the final cut. But in my view I don't see how we could omit it.'

When Peter decides he is ready, he is seen drinking a liquid to prepare his stomach for what is to come, while sitting at the kitchen table. Then, on a sofa with his wife at his side gently rubbing his hand, he drinks a second liquid, after which he falls into a deep sleep and dies. The documentary was commissioned to follow Sir Terry on a journey to explore the realities of assisted death. Ms Moore said: 'The greatest attachment he (Sir Terry) formed was to Peter, and I felt it would be wrong to excise the time they spent together in Switzerland and the very process Peter went through to end his life.
'To gloss over Peter's final moments would be to do a disservice to Peter, to Terry and to the viewer. We have a responsibility to tell the story in its entirety. How can we do this if we shy away from the crux of the story, difficult as this may be?'

The documentary is not the first time that someone has allowed their death to be filmed for TV. Sky previously showed the death of another motor neurone sufferer, Craig Ewert, at Dignitas.
'I have no particular interest in ending my life in Switzerland... Actually, I don't want to die at all, to tell you the truth.' Sir Terry, who was diagnosed with a form of Alzheimer's disease in 2008 and who describes himself as 'a firm believer in assisted death', told the Radio Times that he did not want to die at the clinic. He said: 'I have no particular interest in ending my life in Switzerland... Actually, I don't want to die at all, to tell you the truth.'

Sir Terry, whose Discworld series of books have sold millions of copies worldwide, favours the method legalised in the US state of Oregon, where 'if the doctors agree that you are, as it were, a candidate, they give you the magic potion and you can take it away and keep it at home. 'Preferably, I suppose, not in a bottle marked lemonade. That is possibly close to the ideal,' he said. The author added: 'I do not wish to have to prescribe to Britain what it wants.

'I would like to see in the UK an examination of the methods of assisted dying so that we may consider what is best. You know, what suits the British.' Travelling to Switzerland means people with degenerative diseases who wish to die have to do so earlier than they feel necessary, to avoid it becoming too late to make the journey. Sir Terry said: 'That's what makes me so angry, because I am absolutely sure that if Peter had not had to go to Dignitas, he would probably still be around now. 'That's what makes me so angry, because I am absolutely sure that if Peter had not had to go to Dignitas, he would probably still be around now.''If there was somewhere in England he could have gone to, when it did become too much for him.'

Sir Terry said that Peter turned around and said 'I'd like to thank you all' before drinking the liquid that would kill him. He said: 'Here's the bit that blows your mind - he can't remember the name of the sound man. 'And that's what puts your mind in a spin. 'Here is a courteous man thanking the people who have come with him to be there and he's now embarrassed, at the point of death, because he can't remember the sound man's name. 'This is so English.' He said of witnessing the final moment: 'The word "tough" can't cover it.'

Terry Pratchett: Choosing To Die, is broadcast on Monday, June 13 on BBC2 at 9pm.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1OdTLcwGW

[rubato]

Its a terrible thing which is happening to Terry Pratchett. I'm deeply sorry for him and a lot of his fans (which I'm not really but I have nieces and &c who are).

He's a loss. But he deserves to do it on his terms.

yrs,
rubato

[@meric@nwom@n]

I would like to see more of this. It is time to demystify death and bring it out of the clinical setting and back into the family home as much as possible. People must wake up and see that death is the natural and often welcome conclusion to a life well lived. Perhaps there will come a time then where people no longer make desperate and often cruel choices for their loved ones and make practical and loving choices instead.

[Sue U]

Amen, @w.

[loCAtek]

My granpoa died at home. He lived and died surrounded by loved ones.

It was the Americans who invented 'nursing homes'.

[BoSoxGal]

Nursing homes were created as an alternative for those elderly who found themselves in almshouses with the poor, mentally ill, addicted, etc. due to limited finances or lack of family able to care for them (some folks don't have kids, or their kids die, or their kids are cruel). So yes, history shows that forward thinking Americans created the first nursing home to provide a safe, quality environment for the aged who could no longer support themselves.

Your family is so wonderful, loCA, why don't you go to them for help when you are struggling with all the woes you post about here? Will you live with your mama should you become disabled? Will you move in with her & give up your job to care for her when she becomes infirm? Sounds just lovely, given how you've expressed your deep & abiding affection for her so many times on this & other boards.

Yes, I admit, I do occasionally read your posts. It's hard to look away from a train wreck, and your misplaced arrogance in posts like the above amuses me greatly.

eta: If you have such disdain for 'the Americans' why don't you emigrate to Mexico?

[loCAtek]

Yes BSG, I have two different families: the mother's side and the father's side. I've asked politely that those two not be confused, before. It is interesting to note that your response to miscommunication ; is to limit communication even further so, I can see how you have confused yourself. However, I will continue to agree to comply with not personally communicating, that's not a problem, I'm no longer interested.

Meanwhile back on topic:


Nursing Home Abuse Increasing

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/07/ ... z1P4kyVnZu

What started out as last acts of needy families; is growing into acts of neglect or abuse;

[Daisy]

To get back to the opening post, I watched the documentary the other night.

What struck me most is that the law in the UK prevents this from happening, but those who are determined upon self deliverance are pushed into it far early than even they want to be, because they have to be clinically assessed as sound of mind and able bodied enough to get to the clinic in switzerland and take the drug themselves "unassisted" they are possibly missing out on months of even years where they could be living a quite fulfilled existence.

A tiny tragedy from my perspective. Should we be so hellbent upon the continuation of life when it is at the point where it is causing untold mental and physical torture to the sufferer or should we be "humane" enough to let people decide for themselves?

[Scooter]

I heard somewhere, but I'm not sure if it's true, that after Oregon legalized assisted suicide, the suicide rate went down.

Even if true, whether it was related to the assisted suicide law or not will probably never be made clear. But it is certainly in line with what advocates of legalized assisted suicide have been saying for years, and which you just referred to - that people who want to end life on their own terms are being pushed into it earlier than they would have liked to ensure that they remain physically capable of carrying it out on their own.

[thestoat]

A common argument I have heard against assisted suicide is "what about the sanctity of life?" I looked up the word "sanctity" - to be sure - and found "The state or quality of being holy, sacred, or saintly." So to me it is another example of religion being shoved down the throats of those who clearly don't want it. Terry Pratchet answered the question nicely, in my view, when he asked "what about the dignity of life?"

Daisy - you raise a good point.

[Gob]

Stoat, an interesting find that on the way such "catchphrases" do not stand up to even the briefest scrutiny, and how the unthinking acceptance of a long lost moral/religious precept can distort today's rationality.

[loCAtek]

Stoat, you'd prefer life wasn't sacred, and worthless?


If I put a bullet in your child's brain right now, it wouldn't matter a wit. You could always make more; his life is no more special than another's?

[Sean]

'Sacred' and 'worthless' are not opposites.

[loCAtek]

Added to it above.

Very well, pendant, what is the opposite of sacred? Stoat doesn't want his child to be sacred, 'eh?.

[Sean]

Pedant.

The opposite of sacred is secular.

[thestoat]

Lo - Where did "worthless" come from? Is this an example of you not reading posts properly? Please point to any prior post in this thread where I said "worthless" ... and if you can't then please explain why you are making things up.

Sacred has a religious context and therefore not one I recognise. If I was to end my life prematurely, or that of my child (may the gods forbid it was ever needed, of course) it would be because the situation was so intolerable and painful that I could not have it continue. MY decision. Not that of some religious type shoving their opinions down my throat and affecting MY decisions.

[@meric@nwom@n]

Lo - Where did "worthless" come from? Is this an example of you not reading posts properly? Please point to any prior post in this thread where I said "worthless" ... and if you can't then please explain why you are making things up.

Sacred has a religious context and therefore not one I recognise. If I was to end my life prematurely, or that of my child (may the gods forbid it was ever needed, of course) it would be because the situation was so intolerable and painful that I could not have it continue. MY decision. Not that of some religious type shoving their opinions down my throat and affecting MY decisions.

You are quite right Stoat, my body my choice. It really should be the most fundamental right to choose. Only I know when I have reached the limit of what I can endure. I should be choosing and should not be judged by some religiously sanctimonious toss-pot. Our only point of reference in these situations should be ourselves.

[Lord Jim]

The opposite of sacred is secular.

I believe the antonym for "sacred" is "profane"....

[Andrew D]

That is one of them. But Sean is also correct:

sacred ... religious rather than secular ....

(Compact Oxford English Dictionary.)

Not much difference anyway:

profane ... not holy or religious; secular.

(Id.)

[Sean]

The opposite of sacred is secular.

I believe the antonym for "sacred" is "profane"....

As Andrew said both are correct. But consider the phrase "Jesus fucking Christ almighty!"...

Sacred and profane?