Becky Scott's younger brother Nathaniel Dye died of cancer in January at the age of 40. He had stage 4 incurable bowel cancer that spread to his liver, lungs and brain. According to the Daily Mirror, Scott described feeling betrayed by the system, saying that people are able to serve their own agendas rather than being representative of the general population. She also recounted that her brother was scared at the end, and that the thought of being incapacitated for a prolonged period would have been terrifying for him.
Nathaniel Dye spoke to the Mirror several times about his campaign for the law change. He hailed the vote result as 'momentous' after MPs voted to legalise assisted dying by 314 to 291, a majority of 23. Dye shared his story of delays waiting for NHS treatment in several major speeches.
I feel betrayed by the system really, that people are kind of able to serve their own agendas rather than being representative of the people in the general population.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) bill was put forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater. The legislation would allow terminally ill adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death, subject to approval by two doctors and a panel. The bill has received over 200 hours of scrutiny across both the Commons and the Lords.
However, the assisted dying bill has stalled in the Lords due to filibustering by a small group of opposing peers, according to the Daily Mirror. Charity Dignity in Dying said 1% of peers have taken more than a third (34%) of speaking time. Only 790 amendments have been debated out of 1,283 put forward to the bill. The bill is expected to run out of time when the parliamentary session ends next month.
He was still very much enjoying life right up until the end but I know he was scared. I think one of the very last things that he said was: 'I'm frightened.'
But I also know he, at that point, would absolutely not have wanted to be lying in that position, in the pain that he was in, as incapacitated as he was - and some people are in that position for months. I think the thought of being like that for a prolonged period of time would have been terrifying for him.