June 25, 2023

Euthanasia advocate Dr Philip Nitschke says VAD laws are working, but don’t go far enough

Euthanasia advocate Dr Philip Nitschke says the death of Lily Thai shows VAD laws are working, but don’t go far enough

The death of terminally ill Lily Thai this week shows that voluntary assisted dying works, a euthanasia advocate has said – but there is more work to be done report Mitch Mott and  Lauren Novak.

A 23-year-old woman will end her life on Wednesday under South Australia’s voluntary assisted dying laws. Lily Thai’s decision comes after suffering excruciating…

The death of a terminally ill young woman through assisted dying laws shows the new regime is working – but there is still work that needs to be done, says Adelaide’s ‘Dr Death, voluntary euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke.

Lily Thai died after a years-long battle with chronic health conditions which saw her lose the ability to walk or eat or drink without being sick.

Lily Thai at Flinders Medical Centre’s Laurel Hospice with friend Danika Pederozolli, 28, days before voluntary assisted dying. Picture: Supplied.

Her condition deteriorated in 2021 when she made the heartbreaking realisation that her body would soon fail on her and there was nothing she could do to control it.

Lily used voluntary assisted dying laws to introduced in January this year to end her life.

Dr Philip Nitschke, a former Adelaide-based internationally known euthanasia advocate who is now based in the Netherlands, said he hoped the attention Lily’s case had drawn would help “allay people’s concerns and strengthen support for the law”.

“The SA laws, they are functioning, as evidenced by Lily and I think most people will be pleased such legislation was in place so she could be helped,” he told The Advertiser.

“I note that of the 12 or so who have used the legislation, they had terminal cancer or degenerative neurological diseases and in all these cases it’s hard to find anyone who would not approve of the SA law.”