Perth philanthropist Ros Worthington OAM dies weeks after brave decision to terminate her life

A decorated philanthropist and charity worker who spent her life serving others has died after choosing to terminate her life.

Ros Worthington OAM was recently told she had weeks to live after she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and organised to end her life on her own terms under Western Australia’s Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation.

She spent her final weeks organising her own parting and reassuring loved ones that she was at peace. 

On Sunday, Perth ABC breakfast radio presenter Mark Gibson led the touching tributes to a charitable life well-lived.

‘Dear Ros, I was so lucky to know you and so lucky to get the chance to say goodbye,’ he wrote.

‘You made the world a better place. Fly freely now.’

Others who knew her recalled the amazing lasting impact Ms Worthington had on their lives.

 ‘Oh, gosh, such a sad loss to our world, but as Ros wanted,’ one wrote.

Ros Worthington dedicated years to charity work and became one of WA’s most awarded philanthropists

Another added: ‘Such an amazing lady.’

Ms Worthington was the driving force behind several well known charities across WA.

She established the Make-A-Wish foundation in WA, to grant the wishes of terminally-ill children. 

She started Breast Cancer Care WA after her own battles with chronic breast disease, discovered at the age of 16.

She also founded the Love Angel Foundation, to teach children compassionate values and raise funds to feed and educate orphans and widows across underprivileged countries. 

Ms Worthington saw the need for the recognition and destigmatisation of suicide after her husband Ross took his own life in 2002. 

She established a campaign called HelpME with Lifeline WA to help those suffering depressive and suicidal thoughts. 

Ms Worthington received an Order of Australia medal in 2011.

ABC Perth breakfast presenter (left) Mark Gibson said he was ‘lucky to know’ Ms Worthington and even more lucky to ‘have a chance to say goodbye’ as she spent her final weeks among family and friends

She also received countless awards recognising her philanthropic work, including an appearance on The West Australian’s list of 100 most influential people in WA. 

Last month, she spoke publicly of her terminal diagnosis after battling what she thought was a chest infection. 

After a number of hospital visits and tests, she was told she had stage four lung cancer, which had metastasised to her brain.

The philanthropist was informed she had just eight weeks to live, and underwent ‘cyberknife’ radiation treatment to buy herself some time with family.

‘If it gives me another few weeks, whatever, I have been blessed now because they’ve given me this time to be with my family and my grandchildren and see them and tell them how much I love them,’ she told the ABC in September.

She then opted to end her life at a time of her choosing through voluntary assisted dying, and was thankful for the option. 

‘It’s really wonderful, because you always hear the accolades after someone dies,’ she said.

‘I’m actually getting the accolades and the love from everyone around WA now.’

Ms Worthington had previously said she never really reflected on what she’d achieved until she was given just weeks to live, but was proud of her work

Ms Worthington added she was proud of what she’d been able to achieve in her life, though she’d never stopped to consider it previously, and hoped her work would leave a lasting impact. 

She recently held a ‘farewell’ at a yacht club to say goodbye to friends and her closest loved ones.

Western Australia enacted its Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation in 2021 as  the state recorded 445 assisted deaths in the following two years.

She allowed a documentary film crew to follow her end-of-life journey in the hope of showing that voluntary assisted dying can be beautiful experience.

Ms Worthington spent her years helping people in crisis, and had one final message for the broader community. 

She wanted everybody to love their families, describing family as  the most important thing when you’re dying.