Tweet Facebook Mail Di Hall describes her husband Marshall's death as "beautiful". As the pain from the terminal cancer he was diagnosed with became increasingly unbearable, he decided to use Australia's voluntary assisted dying laws to end his life. The 61-year-old died on September 1, 2023, at home on the Gold Coast.
READ MORE: Woman charged with murder after girl, 10, found dead Di Hall describes her husband Marshall's death as "beautiful". (Supplied) "I was lucky to be able to lie beside him, to be there with him," Hall, 63, said. "It was actually beautiful.
" The fit surfer, who had been working as a real estate agent before his illness, is typical of the 2,467 Aussies who have now used laws which have legalised assisted dying, according to a new report. He was diagnosed with cancer after suffering constipation and a pain near his tailbone. Doctors found a mass near the the father-of-four's coccyx, known as a presacral tumour.
READ MORE: Cathy said her brother's death was 'appalling'. Now other NSW patients like him can ask to die As the cancer progressed, because of where the tumour was, sitting down became impossible. "The worst part about it all was is pain was never under control," Hall, a nurse said.
"He couldn't even sit and have a coffee, all he could do was lay in bed. READ MORE: Aussie city bans the hire of e-scooters "After we basically knew that there wasn't going to be any chance, his biggest fear would be having a stroke, and he'd end up having no control over anything." After her husband went through the process to apply for permission to die, he was able to say goodbye to family and friends with what Hall describes as "a living wake.
" When his chosen day arrived, Hall mixed up the drugs herself, knowing it would kill her husband. She lay beside him as he passed away after drinking them. "It put back his control, his dignity, it was all about his decision-making," she said.
READ MORE: Assisted dying laws in force in NSW Graphic: Tara Blancato (Nine/Tara Blancato) Report shows how voluntary assisted dying laws are working Charity Go Gentle Australia, started by broadcaster Andrew Denton, has released a report called State of VAD . CEO Dr Linda Swan, said the details it contains, using data from 2019 when the first State, Victoria, allowed it, are "reassuring." "The State of VAD is overwhelmingly a good news story," Swan said.
"None of the dire predictions from opponents have come to pass and systems are working safely and with great compassion." However the charity does want some changes, such as allowing VAD to be discussed via Telehealth, to allow people who live in remote areas more access. It's also hoping the final jurisdiction, the Northern Territory, will make it the law.
READ MORE: NSW mum diagnosed with stage four cancer two weeks after giving birth Who is eligible for voluntary assisted dying in Australia? Every state in Australia now allows voluntary assisted dying, also known as euthanasia . Residents of the ACT will have access from 3 November 2025, while it's still being discussed in the NT. It first became legal in Victoria in June 2019, and typical patients who have used the law are men with cancer aged 70 to 79.
There is a lengthy process to go through to get permission. READ MORE: More than 55,000 cars recalled over potentially life-threatening hazard Generally, patients must be over 18, must have lived in the state or territory for at least a year and be a Australian citizen or permanency resident. They must have been diagnosed with an incurable disease, illness or condition that is advanced, progressive and will kill them within six to 12 months.
It must be causing "suffering that cannot be relieved in a manner the person finds tolerable." The patient must be capable of making decisions and communicating them, and must be acting freely and without coercion. A total of 5338 Australians have asked to be assessed to see if they can use the laws, according to Go Gentle .
Do you have a story? Contact journalist Sarah Swain on [email protected] READ MORE: Major Aussie music festival axed.
