𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

A woman whose mother endured eight days of “pure hell” before she died of terminal cancer has told how the memory still haunts her family nine years later. Christine Follows, 68, is one of dozens of readers who responded to Dame Esther Rantzen’s appeal in this newspaper for personal stories in support of assisted dying. In a handwritten letter, she explained that her mum, Freda, was diagnosed with peritoneal cancer after experiencing abdominal pain, difficulty eating and weight loss.

Christine wrote: “Despite treatments for this condition, it soon became apparent that it was terminal. Her condition deteriorated rapidly and, although she was very stoic, her pain levels increased to the point where she was started on morphine. Unfortunately, even this did not relieve her suffering and more drugs were introduced to try to lower her levels of agitation.”

Christine, of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, described her mum as a deeply family-oriented housewife, adding: “Family meant everything to her.”

As a former mental health nurse, Christine was left to “do the lion’s share of the caring” after Freda was admitted to an infirmary due to a shortage of beds in the local hospice. She was joined by her father, Arthur, and her brother and sister.

Christine wrote: “The last eight days of mum’s life (she was 85) were, to put it bluntly, pure hell. Mum suffered so much and certainly did not deserve the agonising death she eventually had.

“During those last four days she was in such pain that she literally cried out with every breath and it was devastating for her family to witness this.”

Grandmother-of-four Christine remembers reaching the stage where “we were praying for it to end and felt an enormous sense of relief when she finally passed away, although this was tinged with guilt for wishing her life to end”.

She added: “Mum was finally at peace but it left the whole family suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and, even now, nine years later, the memories still haunt us.”

Arthur celebrated his 95th birthday on Sunday and Christine now fears for what may happen at the end of his life.

Speaking to the Express, she said she could not understand why the House of Lords had not been able to reach a vote on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

She said: “It’s so frustrating. I’m all for it obviously and I think it’s just dreadful that such a small number of people should be able to block it.

“These people have clearly never been through the experiences that we have been through. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody, but unless you’ve experienced it firsthand you just don’t know what this is like.”

The Bill has run out of time in the Lords but could be reintroduced in the next session of Parliament. The Express is collecting your stories to share with MPs to remind them of the strength of support for assisted dying across the country.

Responding to Christine’s letter, Dame Esther Rantzen thanked her for “courageously reliving your most painful memories of your mother’s agonising death”.

She added:”It is crucial that our MPs know that the current cruel law inflicts so much suffering upon terminally ill patients and their loving families.”