The final moments of a world-renowned scientist who travelled to Switzerland to take his own life have been revealed.
Professor David Goodall, 104, took his own life on May 10 in Switzerland where assisted suicide is legal.
An intimate glimpse into the final two days of the internationally renowned scientist’s life was revealed by the ABC’s Foreign Correspondent.
Before travelling to Switzerland, Dr Goodall made a final stopover in Bordeaux in southern France to farewell his family.
The final moments of a world-renowned scientist who travelled to Switzerland to take his own life have been revealed
Professor David Goodall, 104, took his own life on May 10 in Switzerland where assisted suicide is legal
Dr Goodall spent time feeding his daughter-in-law Hana’s goats and horse, and shared a meal cooked by his grandson Daniel.
Daniel said learning about his grandfather’s decision was a ‘complete shock’.
‘But after second thoughts … I was happy for David. Still sad for myself, but happy for him. It will be a very strange experience, to have an appointment with death,’ Daniel said.
On the morning of his death, Dr Goodall took a call from his Perth-based daughter Karen, and he told her that he loved her.
After filling out extensive paperwork written in three languages, Dr Goodall lay down and administered an intravenous dose of a lethal drug.
Under Swiss law Dr Goodall had to administer it himself without any help.
His grandson, Duncan Goodall, who flew from the US to be by his side in the final moments, said the process took longer than expected.
‘He laid back and closed his eyes. About 30 seconds later he opened his eyes and looked around and said, ‘Oh, it’s taking rather a long time’,’ Duncan said.
‘He made his death have meaning. He saw this thing that he could do to help people that came after him … and I think that’s great.’
Dr Goodall was fiercely independent, lived on his own and was healthy but no longer found joy in life because his eyesight and mobility were poor
Dr Goodall was fiercely independent, lived on his own and was healthy, but no longer found joy in life because his eyesight and mobility were poor.
At an extraordinary press conference the day before he died, the veteran actor gave one last performance, spontaneously singing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy to a huge media pack from around the world.
He said he would have preferred to have died in Australia, but it was unfortunately ‘behind Switzerland’.
Before travelling to Switzerland, Dr Goodall made a final stopover in Bordeaux in southern France to farewell his family.
David’s grandson Duncan said he had come to accept his grandfather’s decision.
‘I still have a visceral reaction to it when I think about it,’ Duncan said.
‘Having someone take their own life is repellent to me. But when you think it through and you sort of rationalise it … it makes sense.”
Dr Goodall’s Bordeaux-based daughter-in-law, Hana Goodall, said it was the destiny of an unusual man to make an unusual decision.
Dr Goodall was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2016 for his contribution to the field of ecology.
Dr Goodall was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2016 for his contribution to the field of ecology