The tragic case of Tony Nicklinson.

This has been reported in the press quite a bit just recently. He is going to court to see if a judge will rule on whether a doctor will be allowed to assist him in taking his own life.

Tony has 'locked in' syndrome as a result of a stroke and he has been a prisoner in his own body for a number of years.

Personally, I think he should be allowed to die if he so chooses.

We wouldn't keep an animal alive in such circumstances. It would be put to sleep painlessly to prevent any further suffering.

Reebok Trotter wrote:This has been reported in the press quite a bit just recently. He is going to court to see if a judge will rule on whether a doctor will be allowed to assist him in taking his own life.

Tony has 'locked in' syndrome as a result of a stroke and he has been a prisoner in his own body for a number of years.

Personally, I think he should be allowed to die if he so chooses.

We wouldn't keep an animal alive in such circumstances. It would be put to sleep painlessly to prevent any further suffering.

I agree 'RT' as long as the person in question (Tony in this instance) is mentally sound enough to make such a decision.

I also agree, we really do live in a silly world. The was some pro-life bint on tv during the week saying we shouldn't legalise euthanasia because it would be an easy way to bump off an elderly relative.

Tony is perfectly rational. He can hear, see and understand everything around him but is unable to move a muscle to do anything for himself. He does not wish to become a burden on his family because he has 24 medical care. In his prime he played Rugby Union and was a fit bloke. In his current plight every day is filled with nothing but misery. He can only communicate with his eyes via a computer keyboard.

I watched the documentary on his life and I think that keeping him alive on ethical grounds is morally wrong. Every man and woman has the right to choose their own destiny.

I'm of the opinion that life is like a trip to movie, if it's a bad one then you don't want to be forced to sit through to the end. You should be able to free to walk out of it whenever you want.

Catch 22, you have to be sound of mind to chose you want to die but to voluntarily want to end your life is considered madness.

I heard him speak (via a computer) on the news a few days back - nearly started a thread on it myself but could not find that exact clip I heard to do so - in which he was articulate, passionate and rationale about his quality of life - "there's only so much telly you can watch!" was one of his quotes.

God help him.

Sometimes you realise that you've got no problems at all when you compare them to others.

Sluffy wrote:Catch 22, you have to be sound of mind to chose you want to die but to voluntarily want to end your life is considered madness.

I heard him speak (via a computer) on the news a few days back - nearly started a thread on it myself but could not find that exact clip I heard to do so - in which he was articulate, passionate and rationale about his quality of life - "there's only so much telly you can watch!" was one of his quotes.

God help him.

Sometimes you realise that you've got no problems at all when you compare them to others.

What Sluffy said.

I would never wish to put my family through this kind of living nightmare. It would be no different if I got Alzheimers. I would much rather be put to sleep peacefully and have my family remember me when I was ' compus mentus ' rather than have to live like a vegetable.

Right-to-die man Tony Nicklinson dead after refusing food.

Tony Nicklinson, a man with locked-in syndrome who fought for the right for doctors to legally end his life, has died.

The 58-year-old was paralysed from the neck down after suffering a stroke in 2005 and described his life as a "living nightmare".

Last week Mr Nicklinson, from Melksham, Wiltshire, lost his High Court case to allow doctors to end his life.

His family solicitor said that he had refused food from last week.

Saimo Chahal said Mr Nicklinson died at home at about 10:00 BST accompanied by his wife, Jane, and two daughters, Lauren and Beth.

She said: "Jane told me that Tony went rapidly downhill over last weekend, having contracted pneumonia."

'Heartbroken by decision'

She added: "Jane said that, after Tony received the draft judgment on 12 August refusing his claim, the fight seemed to go out of him.

"He said that he was heartbroken by the High Court decision that he could not end his life at a time of his choosing with the help of a new doctor.

"He could not understand how the legal argument on his behalf could not succeed."

She said Mr Nicklinson had told her two days after the ruling he was "crestfallen, totally devastated and very frightened".

He had added: "I fear for the future and the misery it is bound to bring.

"I suppose it was wrong of me to invest so much hope and expectation into the judgment but I really believed in the veracity of the argument and quite simply could not understand how anybody could disagree with the logic.

"I guess I forgot the emotional component."

Ms Chahal said Mr Nicklinson had made an advanced directive in 2004 refusing any life-sustaining treatment.

'Goodbye world'

His family had earlier updated his personal Twitter account.

The messages said: "You may already know, my Dad died peacefully this morning of natural causes. he was 58.

"Before he died, he asked us to tweet: 'Goodbye world the time has come, I had some fun'."

Wiltshire Police said the force was not investigating Mr Nicklinson's death.

Mr Nicklinson had been paralysed since suffering a stroke while on a business trip to Athens.

He had campaigned for the law to be changed to allow doctors to assist his suicide without fear of prosecution.

Prior to last week's case, in an article he wrote for the BBC, he had described his life as "a living nightmare".

He said: "What I find impossible to live with is the knowledge that... I have no way out - suicide - when this life gets too much to bear."

He added: "It cannot be acceptable in 21st Century Britain that I am denied the right to take my own life just because I am physically handicapped."

However, three High Court judges rejected his plea for the law to be changed, saying the issue should be left to Parliament.

Another man, known only as Martin, who is 47, also lost his case to end his life with medical help.

Mr Nicklinson said he would appeal against the decision but his lawyer said this would now end unless "someone steps forward in similar circumstances to pursue the action".

Professor Penney Lewis, professor of law at the Centre of Medical Law and Ethics at King's College London, said that Mr Nicklinson's plight would continue to raise questions about a change in the law.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-19341722

RIP

Absolutley tragic, I think anyone in that state who wants to end their own life should be allowed to and not have the decision made by somebody who doesn't even know him or has any idea what he is going through.

RIP Tony.

Always felt sorry for this chap, if I went from an active person to a virtual vegetable I'd want to kill myself too. I'm sick and tired of these pro-life wankers making decisions for everyone else. If I want to kill myself I should be allowed to.

Reebok Trotter wrote:Tony is perfectly rational. He can hear, see and understand everything around him but is unable to move a muscle to do anything for himself. He does not wish to become a burden on his family because he has 24 medical care. In his prime he played Rugby Union and was a fit bloke. In his current plight every day is filled with nothing but misery. He can only communicate with his eyes via a computer keyboard.

I watched the documentary on his life and I think that keeping him alive on ethical grounds is morally wrong. Every man and woman has the right to choose their own destiny.

Then in that case he is committing suicide!

By the above statement i take it that all handicapped people should have the right to comm it suicide so as not to burnden society?

I agree on euthenasia, but this is an easy way out for him and I agree with teh court that euthenasia is not right in this case. There was someone else with Locked-In syndrome on TV this morning all full of life and looking forward to the future with his family and then what about Steven Hawkin??? These people are not in a vegetative state, they are just handicapped, and have full brain faculties and can express their own opinion.



Euthenasia I agree with but it has to be future-agreed that if one enters a vegetative state or has some form of ailment which ultimate leads to death (such as any terminal c with only weeks left) then euthanasia is an option. As it is Locked-in syndrome does not lead to death and the people, who have it, are not vegetative!

fuck em all ,he got what he wanted RIP man.

I believe you should have the right to choose - it is your life, after all. The circumstances are different to 'Top Gun' Director Tony Scott, for instance where very few people (if any) know what reason he had to commit suicide. Mr. Nicklinson was basically a vegetable and had nothing to look forward to but an end to his misery. R.I.P.

Angry Dad wrote:fuck em all ,he got what he wanted RIP man.

Very interesting post AD, in contrast to your view on abortion I mean. I thought you might be against euthanasia too on similar moral grounds.

bwfc71 wrote:

I agree on euthenasia, but this is an easy way out for him and I agree with teh court that euthenasia is not right in this case. There was someone else with Locked-In syndrome on TV this morning all full of life and looking forward to the future with his family and then what about Steven Hawkin??? These people are not in a vegetative state, they are just handicapped, and have full brain faculties and can express their own opinion.

But why should you or I or a judge decide who should be able to die? Just because one person is dealing with his condition pretty well doesn't mean everyone will.

largehat wrote:

Angry Dad wrote:fuck em all ,he got what he wanted RIP man.

Very interesting post AD, in contrast to your view on abortion I mean. I thought you might be against euthanasia too on similar moral grounds.

I view the ending of a life just starting differently to the ending of a life in torture with no end in sight. People are helped out of this world all the time by medical staff to end their suffering its just not discovered. I dont have an answer for everything LH and certain situations can alter the way you normally feel what is right or wrong.

If it was my dad and he wanted to have his life ended I would find a way of helping him. If I was convicted of a crime then so be it. But I certainly would not allow anyone I cared about to suffer that way.

I would have a hope that courts would be lenient and sensible but you never know what would happen when you think of some of the silly sentences dished out.

During the 2nd World War, British agents that were parachuted into France to help the French resistance were given a cyanide tablet to use in the very possible event that they were captured. The Catholic church were in full agreement with this.

I read about his death while I was on holiday. What I find really sad is that he had to starve himself to death. There is nowt worse than being hungry. Hunger pains are not imaginary.

I don't think you can compare Tony Nicklinson with Steven Hawkins because Hawkins has never expressed a wish to die.