'I held my husband's hand as he took his own life - having the choice gave me peace'

John, who had stage four colorectal cancer, 'was relieved and relaxed into sleep' eight minutes after taking the substance and was dead after 18

Mary-Kate Pickett sat by her husband John’s hospital bed in their home and held his hand until he peacefully passed away .

He had taken a substance under a voluntary assisted dying scheme in Tasmania. John, originally from Letherhead in Surrey, fell asleep eight minutes after taking the substance and was dead after 18.

John, 71, had been sick for 17-months and had stage four colorectal cancer. Mary-Kate, 64, described how within five weeks of making his initial call to express he wanted to die, it had happened.

A thorough process saw John have to make three separate requests, the final one in writing. While two separate doctors had to give their approval and a doctor was with John and Mary-Kate on the day itself.

“Everybody grieves differently but I believe because John was able to die in a way that was a reflection of his values and of his commitment to being intentional about how he approached his life I feel like it has been less of a trauma.

“That may not be the same for everybody but I was 100% supportive of John’s decision and so the two of us were on a path together and that was very special, in a way. I sat with him while he took the substance and he was relieved and calm as he relaxed into sleep.”