Ex-headteacher, 65, will die at Dignitas this Friday after being forced to end his life EARLY

An ex-head teacher will end his life on Friday at Dignitas after battling motor neurone disease for four years.

Right-to-die campaigner Richard Selley will travel to the Swiss clinic while he is still able to, as his family claims they have been ‘robbed’ of extra time with him.

The 65-year-old says he would have been able to spend more time with his family if assisted dying had been legal in Scotland.

However, the law currently requires him to administer the lethal dose himself, which means he must travel before his condition gets worse.

Richard Selley has made the decision to travel to Switzerland on Saturday to end his life 

Richard and wife Elaine (pictured above) have been living with his condition since 2015

Writing on his blog from his home in Perthshire, he says he has ‘shed some tears’ after making the decision. 

He penned: ‘Throughout this month, I have known that I will die on September 6. That has been a surreal experience, not dissimilar, perhaps, to that faced by someone waiting in a condemned cell.

‘I will end my life in a few days’ time, and I have to admit, those moments have rarely been out of my mind recently, I have shed some tears, but my overriding emotion has been one of relief.

‘As I have said my goodbyes to family and friends, or read their farewell messages, I have felt profoundly sad, but feelings such as anger and despair left me long ago. (My wife) Elaine will be at my side in Switzerland, and although parting from each other will be unbearable, she knows that I cannot battle with this awful disease any longer.

Richard will travel to Dignitas (pictured above) on Friday. His condition has left him unable to swallow 

Writing on his blog, Richard explained the decision and said if assisted dying had been legal in Scotland then it would have ‘eased worries’

‘I am exhausted by it, and it is time to go.’

He was diagnosed with MND in March 2015 and can now longer speak or swallow and says he has become a ‘prisoner in his body’.

Richard also highlighted that he is spending £10,000 travelling to the Dignitas clinic.

He said if assisted dying was legal in Scotland, it would have ‘eased many worries and my remaining time would have been dedicated to my wife, family and friends rather than complex admin’.

His wife Elaine Selley, 57, says the current UK law is robbing her of extra time with her husband.

Elaine (pictured above) said UK law has ‘robbed her’ of having extra time with her husband 

She said legalising assisted dying in the UK would mean husband Richard would be able to prolong his life, instead of being forced to travel while he is still able.

The law requires Mr Selley to undertake every step of the process himself, meaning he must travel before he is unable to administer the fatal dose himself. Elaine said the situation was robbing her of precious extra time with her husband.

She said: ‘Richard is very clear what he wants to do and he doesn’t want to see other people going through this. He wants to take control.

WHAT IS MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE?

Motor neurone disease is a rare condition that mainly affects people in their 60s and 70s, but it can affect adults of all ages.

It’s caused by a problem with cells in the brain and nerves called motor neurones. These cells gradually stop working over time. It’s not known why this happens.

Having a close relative with motor neurone disease, or a related condition called frontotemporal dementia, can sometimes mean you’re more likely to get it. But it doesn’t run in families in most cases.

Early symptoms can include weakness in your ankle or leg, like finding it hard to walk upstairs; slurred speech, finding it hard to swallow, a weak grip, and gradual weight loss

If you have these sympthoms, you should see a GP. They will consider other possible conditions and can refer you to a specialist called a neurologist if necessary.

If a close relative has motor neurone disease or frontotemporal dementia and you’re worried you may be at risk of it – they may refer you to a genetic counsellor to talk about your risk and any tests you can have

Source: NHS UK 

 

‘It’s a horrible thing to go through, as his partner. Going to Switzerland is not something we want to have to do.

‘If I could keep him for even one more day that would be great but he’s got to be able to do everything himself – he’s got to travel and administer the medication himself.

‘They are making him choose to go early because he’s afraid that the choice is going to be taken from him and he wants to avoid a prolonged death.’

She said if patients were able to end their own lives in this country strict rules could be brought in, similar to those in Switzerland, where two doctors have to certify the patient is of sound mind.

She said: ‘It’s only a small proportion of people that would ever take this route in the last months of their lives – it’s not going to open the floodgates.

‘Assisted dying is not suicide – it’s for people who are already dying.’ 

Richard says his earliest suspicions that he had MND were triggered by having watched The Theory Of Everything, a biopic about the life of Professor Stephen Hawking.

Only three months after seeing the film, he was diagnosed with the terminal illness and his ability to speak, walk and eat began to deteriorate.

The average life expectancy after diagnosis is about 14 months but the former economics teacher has now lived with the illness for just over four years.

And that is long enough says author Richard, who published his charity book Death Sits On My Shoulder, about coming to terms with the illness, last year.

Richard has been thinking about ending his life for more than a year.

Since being diagnosed, he has fought for the right to die much closer to home, saying that while he is grateful for the service provided by Dignitas, Holyrood politicians should be stepping up the battle to resolve assisted dying.

In his view it remains ‘one of the last great human rights issues to be tackled’.

 

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