Assisted Death: Dying Mother Admits To Ending Life of Terminally Ill Son With Huge Morphine Dose

(Photo : Pixabay / Eliola)

A mother, who is now terminally ill, has admitted to aiding in ending the life of her terminally ill five-year-old son.

Her son, who died in 1981, was faced with stage 4 cancer and went through terrible suffering before he died.

Mother Admits to Assisted Death

Antonya Cooper from Oxfordshire said that her child Hamish, who had a rare cancer known as neuroblastoma, told her that he was in pain and asked her if she could take his pain away. She recounts that, as his mother, she would not let him suffer.

Hamish had been battling neuroblastoma since he was five years old, with a prognosis of just three months left to live. Though he underwent painful therapies for 16 months, he was still left in a constant state of agony.

Mrs. Cooper ultimately decided to give a huge morphine dose to her son. Recounting the decision, she said that it was the right thing to do, as her son faced terrible pain and suffering.

She recounts her role in her son's assisted death, sharing that during Hamish's last night, he experienced a lot of pain. She then asked her son if he would like her to take the pain away, to which her son responded with a "yes."

The mother then administered a huge dose of morphine that quietly ended Hamish's life. She did so through the Hickman Catheter, external, of Hamish.

While Hamish was still in the hospital, the mother would talk to both her terminally ill son and his sister about the possibility of bleak survival. Though Hamish did not directly ask about death, there was a point where Mrs. Cooper answered one of his questions, saying that he would probably die.

Though they faced grave challenges, Haish was able to return to school, regrow hair, and even enjoy holidays after the end of treatments.

However, Hamish developed septic arthritis after taking a knock on one ankle in autumn. Biopsies later revealed that his cancer resurfaced vengefully.

Mrs. Cooper knew that this point would be the final journey. After Hamish received home palliative care and was given morphine sulfate, he passed away on December 1, 1981.

She likened his death to an amputation, wherein its loss is never gotten over, and that learning to cope is the only option.

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Assisted Death

The admission of Mrs. Cooper comes with her fight to push for legal changes with regard to assisted dying.

In the UK, euthanasia and assisted suicide are prohibited. Euthanasia involves the deliberate ending of a person's life, while assisted suicide involves the intentional aiding in ending the life of a person.

With her recent admission, Mrs. Cooper could undergo an investigation. When she was asked if she understood that she admitted to possible murder or manslaughter, she replied, saying, "Yes."

Mrs. Cooper wants to raise neuroblastoma awareness and has been encouraging the government to legalize assisted death.

Critics have expressed that making changes to the law would pressure vulnerable people to just end their lives out of fear of being an emotional or financial burden.

While both assisted suicide and assisted dying are not allowed in the UK, the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Scotland have all revealed considerations about changing the law to allow terminally ill individuals to end their lives.