{"id":244093,"date":"2023-12-19T11:09:09","date_gmt":"2023-12-19T11:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lovemainstream.com\/?p=244093"},"modified":"2023-12-19T11:09:09","modified_gmt":"2023-12-19T11:09:09","slug":"dignitass-rules-on-people-they-will-help-to-die-as-esther-rantzen-signs-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovemainstream.com\/lifestyle\/dignitass-rules-on-people-they-will-help-to-die-as-esther-rantzen-signs-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Dignitas\u2019s rules on people they will help to die as Esther Rantzen signs up"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Dame Esther Rantzen, 83, found out she had stage four terminal cancer in January this year. The television presenter, who hosted long-running BBC consumer show That\u2019s Life! until 1994, explained she didn\u2019t know how long she had to live.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1998, Dignitas provides assisted suicides at home or at the society’s house near Z\u00fcrich. The Swiss clinic offers its services to members with severe physical or mental illnesses, as well as the terminally ill.<\/p>\n

Members have to prove that they are of sound judgement, and have to be able to bring about their deaths themselves. They must submit a formal request, including a letter explaining why they want to die, and have their wishes approved by doctors who aren’t part of the organisation.<\/p>\n

Speaking on the Today Podcast, Rantzen said: \u201cI have in my brain thought, \u2018Well, if the next scan says nothing\u2019s working I might buzz off to Zurich,\u2019 but, you know, it puts my family and friends in a difficult position because they would want to go with me.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that means that the police might prosecute them. So we\u2019ve got to do something. At the moment, it\u2019s not really working, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Both euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal in the UK, with euthanasia carrying a maximum penalty of life in jail. The only exception is “passive euthanasia”, which involves the withdrawal of treatment to extend someone’s life, for example, a life support machine being turned off.<\/p>\n

Opening up about her decision, Esther said: \u201cMy family say it\u2019s my decision and my choice. I explained to them that, actually, I don\u2019t want their last memories of me to be painful because if you watch someone you love having a bad death, that memory obliterates all the happy times and I don\u2019t want that to happen. I don\u2019t want to be that sort of victim in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that she was waiting to have a brain scan and would make up her mind about when she would go to Dignitas after receiving the results.<\/p>\n

British patients who want to use Dignitas’ services need to rent the clinic\u2019s apartments. While active euthanasia is also illegal in Switzerland, it is not a crime to prescribe lethal drugs, as long as the recipient takes an active role in taking them.<\/p>\n

The country\u2019s law only allows for providing the means to commit suicide if the reasons for doing so aren’t selfish. Dignitas reportedly charges between \u20ac4,000 (\u00a33,600) and \u20ac7,000 (\u00a36,400) for assisted suicide.<\/p>\n