Facing a protracted death – or watching a loved one do so – is a physical and emotional roller coaster.
The fear of what lies ahead can be all-consuming. So it’s perfectly understandable that many people in this position – including Dame Esther Rantzen (as well as, if opinion polls are to be believed, a large proportion of the British public) – believe a legalised system of assisted dying is long overdue.
And who would want to deny the terminally ill a ‘good’ death – pain-free, peaceful and at a time and location of their choosing?