Latest news with #DignityinDying
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Right-to-Die Activist Ends Life by Starving Herself to ‘Protect My Children From Seeing Me Choke and Struggle to Breathe'
Two years ago, Emma Bray, 42, was diagnosed with a terminal neurological condition called motor neuron disease She decided to end her life by starving herself, hoping to spare her children from witnessing her decline any further The mom of two announced her own death on Instagram on July 14 alongside a final photo of herself lying in a hospice bedA British mother made the tough decision to starve herself to death to spare her children from witnessing the devastating effects of her terminal neurological condition. Two years ago, Emma Bray from Barnstaple, England, was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND). MND is a group of neurological disorders that gradually destroy the motor neurons, according to the Cleveland Clinic. These nerve cells are found in the brain and spinal cord, and they control muscle movement for activities like breathing, speaking, swallowing and walking. ALS — also known as Lou Gehrig's disease — is the most common MND. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'I've had four different health professionals tell me I've got the worst disease possible,' she told The Mirror in May, using an eye-gazing machine to speak. 'I now feel I am at the stage where my quality of life is very affected, I can no longer use any of my limbs. My talking is severely affected, and I struggle to eat, and it's getting harder to breathe. I am only really comfortable in bed, and social visits are exhausting.' 'I have carers multiple times a day, can't be left alone overnight and can no longer do any basic tasks,' the 42-year-old continued. 'I can't scratch an itch, push up my glasses, or move a bed sheet if I am too hot or cold. I feel like I am losing the essence of me. I am still so loved, but I can't be myself, and I see that grief on everyone's faces." is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Bray — who actively campaigned for Dignity in Dying — was an advocate for the Assisted Dying Bill, which would allow adults in the UK who are terminally ill to have the choice of medical aid in dying. She said, if it were passed, it would've prevented her loved ones suffering for two years with anticipatory grief. 'Imagine seeing your children crying and upset and not be able to hug them or curl up in bed and wipe their tears away,' she told the outlet, referring to her children, age 15 and 14. 'This is hands down the thing I hate the most about motor neurone disease. It's taken my children's mum from them little by little.' So, Bray decided to end her life using the 'voluntarily stopping eating or drinking' practice, also known as VSED. According to nonprofit Compassion & Choices — which provides resources, training and support for those navigating end-of-life health care — VSED is 'when a mentally capable individual decides to control their own dying by making a conscious decision to refuse foods and fluids of any kind.' 'VSED is not an easy death, but with the current law in England, this is the only way I can have control over my death,' Bray explained. 'I want to protect my children from seeing me choke and struggle to breathe. I don't want to die, but I am going to and have come to terms with my impending death, and I know I want to die surrounded by loved ones, music and laughter, not in an emergency way after further decline.' 'My last bit of parenting I can do is to limit the suffering and trauma they have to witness,' she added. 'I made a promise to myself that I wanted to wait to see my daughter finish high school and my son grow up a little so I can picture the man he will become.' ! In her final months, she told the outlet that she's urging members of parliament to help others 'die with peace.' On Monday, July 14, Bray — from her @stupid_mnd account — posted on Instagram, announcing her own death alongside a final photo of herself lying in a hospice bed overlooking the trees. 'If you are reading this then I've finished my final spin round the sun,' she wrote. 'I've lived a very good life, surrounded by love, music and laughter and I want this to continue in my memory. Rather than shed a tear (or whilst you do) please plant a tree or call a friend, do a random act of kindness or take time to watch a sunset. For moments of doubt please ask 'what would Emma do?' and run with that probably inappropriate answer.' 'Hug everyone a little tighter and love openly,' she ended. 'Please surround those who were closest to me with love, time and patience. And to quote Frank Turner - Remember you get to dance another day but now you have to dance for one more of us. Love you , bye.' Read the original article on People
Daily Mirror
15-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Mum who starved rather than suffer 'worst death' leaves behind powerful message
Emma Bray wanted to protect her children from seeing her die a "terrible" death from motor neurone disease, so made the heartbreaking decision to starve herself to death instead A remarkable mum with MND - who made the heartbreaking decision to starve herself to 'spare' her children - has left a final heartbreaking message saying goodbye to the world. Emma Bray, 42, a Dignity in Dying campaigner, who bravely told The Mirror about her plans to move into a hospice this summer and voluntarily stop eating and drinking, has died. The proud and devoted mum left a touching and powerful final message on her Instagram account, under a photograph of her lying in a hospice bed in Devon looking out over the trees. She wrote: 'If you are reading this then I've finished my final spin round the sun .I've lived a very good life, surrounded by love, music and laughter and I want this to continue in my memory. "Rather than shed a tear (or whilst you do) please plant a tree or call a friend, do a random act of kindness or take time to watch a sunset. For moments of doubt please ask 'what would Emma do?'and run with that probably inappropriate answer. Hug everyone a little tighter and love openly. Please surround those who were closest to me with love, time and patience. 'And to quote Frank Turner - Remember you get to dance another day but now you have to dance for one more of us. Love you, bye.' Days before the post Emma and her friends had gone to see Alanis Morissette in concert, which she described as being on her 'bucket list'. She wrote: 'After 29 years of true love I wasn't going to let a little inconvenient terminal illness let me miss this.' Emma had been using the Instagram page 'supid_mnd' to show her ' MND journey' including the 'good, bad and ugly' Her message was met with outpouring of love and grief, with one healthcare professional, writing about meeting her during training. "You have greatly impacted my own practice, and I'm sure many other professionals too. Your life was too short, but the impact you made was huge." Earlier this year in May, the former charity worker, who has helped hundreds of domestic abuse victims and the homeless during her career, told us how she wanted to shield her 'amazing' children, aged 15 and 14, from the 'brutal' and 'terrible' death she faced. 'I've had four different health professionals tell me I've got the worst disease possible,' she told the Mirror. MND is a terminal neurological condition that affects the brain and spinal cord leading to muscle weakness and wasting. She wanted to spare her children the horror of seeing their mum suddenly choke to death. Instead she wanted a 'calm and peaceful death' and had planned her funeral and written her eulogy. 'My last bit of parenting I can do is to limit the suffering and trauma they have to witness. I made a promise to myself that I wanted to wait to see my daughter finish high school and my son grow up a little so I can picture the man he will become.' Emma had decided to die using the Voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED) practice. This is where an adult makes a decision to hasten their death by completely stopping all food and fluids. They say dying from VSED can typically take between 10 to 14 days. Emma, from Barnstaple in North Devon, had endured extra pain during her trips to London to back the Assisted Dying Bill. She said she wanted other families to avoid the horrifying decisions she had to make between two 'painful and potentially horrific' ways to die. She said: 'This bill will have offered me protection for those I love who have already spent two years living with anticipatory grief and watching me suffer. 'Imagine seeing your children crying and upset and not be able to hug them or curl up in bed and wipe their tears away. This is hands down the thing I hate the most about motor neurone disease. It's taken my children's mum from them little by little… 'I urge MPs to realise that this bill will not end my life, motor neurone disease is doing that but they can help me and others with less than six months to live to die with peace. '
Daily Record
15-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Mum with MND dies after starving herself to 'protect her children'
The news of Dignity in Dying campaigner Emma Bray's death was shared in an emotional post on social media. A mum with motor neurone disease has died after she made the heartbreaking decision to starve herself to death to 'protect her children' from witnessing her die suddenly from choking. Emma Bray, 42, previously spoke of her intention to move into a hospice and stop eating and drinking voluntarily. The mum-of-two from Barnstaple, North Devon, was devastated she could not hug her children or dry their tears due to the progression of her condition, but wanted to fight for the law to change on assisted dying to help others in similar situations, the Mirror reports. On Monday, July 14, she shared a final message on her @stupid_mnd Instagram page, along with a picture of her lying in her bed in the hospice. She wrote: 'If you are reading this then I've finished my final spin round the sun. 'I've lived a very good life, surrounded by love, music and laughter and I want this to continue in my memory. Rather than shed a tear (or whilst you do) please plant a tree or call a friend, do a random act of kindness or take time to watch a sunset. 'For moments of doubt please ask 'what would Emma do?' and run with that probably inappropriate answer. Hug everyone a little tighter and love openly. 'Please surround those who were closest to me with love, time and patience. And to quote Frank Turner - Remember you get to dance another day but now you have to dance for one more of us. Love you, bye.' Just days before, she had gone to see Alanis Morrissette in concert with friends, ticking an item off her "bucket list". She said at the time: 'After 29 years of true love I wasn't going to let a little inconvenient terminal illness let me miss this.' At the end of May this year, the former charity worker, who had supported hundreds of domestic abuse victims and homeless people, revealed she wanted to protect her "amazing" children, aged 15 and 14, from witnessing her potentially "brutal" death. She said: 'I've had four different health professionals tell me I've got the worst disease possible.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Emma did not want her children to watch her suddenly choke to death, instead wanting a "calm and peaceful death", and had also planned her funeral and written her eulogy. She added: 'My last bit of parenting I can do is to limit the suffering and trauma they have to witness. 'I made a promise to myself that I wanted to wait to see my daughter finish high school and my son grow up a little so I can picture the man he will become.' She chose to die using the practice of voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED). According to Compassion in Dying, this involves an adult 'with mental capacity to decide to do so and in the absence of control or coercion', decides to hasten their death by completely restricting all food and fluids. They say dying as a result of VSED can typically take between 10 and 14 days. Emma had also travelled to London to show her support for the Assisted Dying Bill. She wanted other families in a similar position to avoid having to make decisions between two "painful and potentially horrific" ways to die. She said: 'This bill will have offered me protectio n for those I love who have already spent two years living with anticipatory grief and watching me suffer. 'Imagine seeing your children crying and upset and not be able to hug them or curl up in bed and wipe their tears away. This is hands down the thing I hate the most about motor neurone disease. It's taken my children's mum from them little by little.' Speaking to the Mirror using her eye gazing machine, she continued: 'I now feel I am at the stage where my quality of life is very affected, I can no longer use any of my limbs. My talking is severely affected and I struggle to eat and it's getting harder to breathe. I am only really comfortable in bed and social visits are exhausting. 'I have carers multiple times a day, can't be left alone overnight and can no longer do any basic tasks. I can't scratch an itch, push up my glasses, move a bed sheet if I am too hot or cold. I feel like I am losing the essence of me, I am still so loved but I can't be myself and I see that grief on everyone's faces. 'This whole journey has been brutal but I have still been able to be a parent and I now realise I can't be a bit of the parent I need and want to be. Watching your children grieve you and not be able to hug them is the most painful feeling ever. This disease takes from everyone and it will take the children's mother from them bit by bit.' Emma told us: 'VSED is not an easy death but with the current law in England this is the only way I can have control over my death. 'I want to protect my children from seeing me choke and struggle to breathe. I don't want to die but I am going to and have come to terms with my impending death and I know I want to die surrounded by loved ones, music and laughter not in an emergency way after further decline.' '...My end of life wish is to be at the hospice surrounded by my friends and family. I want to have music playing, to hear people laugh and watch them playing card games over me.' Honouring her children, Emma said: 'My children are amazing and have spent so much of their childhood witnessing me decline. 'They watched me crawl around the floor for a year before diagnosis, they help me with everything as I have no working limbs, they live in an environment where there is a constant flow of carers coming into our home. 'They are obviously struggling. They struggle watching me fade, they are already grieving for the mum I once was. How they are still attending school and laughing astounds me and is a credit to what amazing people they are. 'They have a village of people around them but I know they desperately miss me. They are living in limbo land, they know they will have to move house to live with their dad but they don't know when and that uncertainty is hard for them. 'I can see their pain and grief on a daily basis and I would do anything to take that away from them. They are desperate for a hug from me and that hasn't happened in years… 'There is never a good time to lose your mum but all my maternal instincts want to make that horrible reality as easy for them as I can. 'I urge MPs to realise that this bill will not end my life, motor neurone disease is doing that but they can help me and others with less than six months to live to die with peace. '
Daily Mirror
15-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Brave mum Emma Bray's final days after deciding to starve herself to death for sake of her kids
Dignity in Dying campaigner Emma Bray has died after making the heartbreaking decision to starve herself to death. Just last month, she spoke with the Mirror about her poignant hopes for her final days A courageous mother has shared a heartbreaking message from beyond the grave after making a difficult decision. Emma Bray, who lived with Motor Neurone Disease (MND), previously spoke with the Mirror about her plans to voluntarily stop eating and drinking after moving into a hospice. The Dignity in Dying campaigner explained that she wanted to shield her 'amazing' children, aged 15 and 14, from the 'brutal' and "terrible" death she faced, in what she regarded as her "last bit of parenting". Now, an Instagram post has revealed that the 42-year-old has sadly died, just one month after she opened up about her wishes for her final days. The pre-written message was accompanied by a photograph of Emma lying in her hospice bed in Devon, looking out over a tranquil tree-lined view. Expressing gratitude for her time on this earth, Emma, from Barnstaple in North Devon, wrote: "If you are reading this, then I've finished my final spin round the sun. "I've lived a very good life, surrounded by love, music and laughter, and I want this to continue in my memory. Rather than shed a tear (or whilst you do), please plant a tree or call a friend, do a random act of kindness or take time to watch a sunset. "For moments of doubt, please ask, 'What would Emma do?' and run with that probably inappropriate answer. Hug everyone a little tighter and love openly. "Please surround those who were closest to me with love, time and patience. And to quote Frank Turner - Remember you get to dance another day, but now you have to dance for one more of us. Love you, bye." Back in June, Emma, who helped hundreds of domestic abuse victims and homeless people through her career as a charity worker, reflected on how she'd like to spend her final days. She shared her longing for a 'calm and peaceful death', and revealed that she'd already planned her funeral and written her eulogy. Emma continued: 'VSED is not an easy death, but with the current law in England, this is the only way I can have control over my death. 'I want to protect my children from seeing me choke and struggle to breathe. I don't want to die, but I am going to and have come to terms with my impending death, and I know I want to die surrounded by loved ones, music and laughter, not in an emergency way after further decline.' "My end-of-life wish is to be at the hospice surrounded by my friends and family. I want to have music playing, to hear people laugh and watch them playing card games over me.' As per Compassion In Dying, VSED is a process whereby an adult 'with mental capacity to decide to do so and in the absence of control or coercion, makes a decision to hasten their death by completely stopping the oral intake of all food and fluids'. Death can take between 10 to 14 days. Emma was first diagnosed with MND two years ago. She told us: 'I've had four different health professionals tell me I've got the worst disease possible." MND is a terminal neurological condition that affects a person's brain and spinal cord, resulting in muscle weakness and wasting. As her condition progressed, Emma was left unable to hug her two children or wipe away their tears, and she was left fearing the possibility of choking to death in front of loved ones. The devoted mum, who spoke with the Mirror using her eye gazing machine, discussed the severe difficulties she was facing day to day, stating: 'I now feel I am at the stage where my quality of life is very affected, I can no longer use any of my limbs. My talking is severely affected, and I struggle to eat, and it's getting harder to breathe. I am only really comfortable in bed, and social visits are exhausting. 'I have carers multiple times a day, can't be left alone overnight and can no longer do any basic tasks. I can't scratch an itch, push up my glasses, or move a bed sheet if I am too hot or cold. I feel like I am losing the essence of me. I am still so loved, but I can't be myself, and I see that grief on everyone's faces." Expressing her support for the Assisted Dying Bill, Emma said: 'This bill will have offered me protection for those I love who have already spent two years living with anticipatory grief and watching me suffer. 'Imagine seeing your children crying and upset and not be able to hug them or curl up in bed and wipe their tears away. This is hands down the thing I hate the most about motor neurone disease. It's taken my children's mum from them little by little… 'I urge MPs to realise that this bill will not end my life, motor neurone disease is doing that, but they can help me and others with less than six months to live to die with peace. '
ITV News
27-06-2025
- Health
- ITV News
Jersey to make final decision on assisted dying law in December
Jersey will decide whether to officially legalise assisted dying later this year. The draft law will be published in early September before going through 14 weeks of political scrutiny, with a final debate and vote on Tuesday 9 December. If it passes, the legislation is expected to come into force in 2027. Health Minister, Deputy Tom Binet, says: "I think we're probably running a bit ahead of the game and I've been very impressed throughout with the people that have been doing this. "This could serve as a template for other places, it's that good." Politicians in Westminster recently passed the next stage of their assisted dying bill covering England and Wales. British MP Sarah Champion has been in Jersey to meet States Members and see how they can support one another. She explains: "It's looking to see where our systems are similar, where we can learn from each other and share experiences, good and bad, so we don't make the same mistakes." Jersey politicians backed the law change to allow assisted dying in principle by 32 votes to 14 in May 2024. It would see those aged 18 or over and living on the island for at least a year given the choice to end their life with the help of medical professionals if they have a terminal illness and less than six months to live, or 12 months if they have a neurodegenerative condition. Fran Hall from the campaign group Dignity in Dying says: "Momentum for change across the British Isles and beyond is unstoppable and we're really grateful that Jersey is leading this." Safeguards have been a key part of discussions about assisted dying legislation across the British Isles, due to concerns that vulnerable people could be coerced to end their lives. To combat this, the UK and the Isle of Man will bring in a specific 'coercion' offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Jersey has not yet defined this but ITV News understands coercion would likely fall under the island's existing homicide law, rather than being dealt with separately. This is an incredibly complicated issue and Jersey's Health Minister wants the States to have no excuse to say no when the assisted dying draft law is debated in December. The difference between Jersey and the UK is that in Westminster, their law is being proposed by a single MP, Kim Leadbeater, through a Private Members' Bill. Whereas, Jersey's legislation is being put forward by the island's government, making it more likely to be approved as they have a majority in the States Assembly. However, this is still an incredibly divisive topic and that is why Jersey politicians are so keen to talk about safeguarding with other jurisdictions. For example, compared to the Isle of Man, Jersey has different residency requirements, meaning someone could live in Jersey for a shorter amount of time before being eligible for an assisted death. What will be interesting is how Guernsey reacts with a new set of politicians - could they soon be the next place in the British Isles to propose assisted dying legislation? Some, like Gavin St Pier, believe it is time for the States to reconsider their position and follow Jersey's model.
