The Winmalee family who became the public face of the euthanasia debate in NSW last week said they have been overwhelmed by the community’s support.
Anne Gabrielides shared her moving plight with motor neurone disease to show backing for draft NSW legislation that would allow terminally ill people to voluntarily end their lives.
“The reaction has been one of overwhelming support from people that we don’t know, as well as people that we do know and weren’t aware of Anne’s condition,” Ms Gabrielides’ husband Paul told the Gazette.
“There’s a lot of support in the community for this bill. I’m really surprised by how much support there is.”
Ms Gabrielides, a 53-year-old former teacher, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in July last year and wants the legal right to end her life with medical assistance at the time of her choosing. She has the support of her husband, their twin sons Michael and Christopher, 31, and daughter Eleni, 20.
Although she recently lost the ability to speak, she was able to answer the Gazette’s questions by writing. She said having the discussion about the end of her life with her family was difficult but necessary.
“I have found great solace and pride that they want to support me in my endeavours,” she said.
Mr Gabrielides said the public spotlight the family experienced last week was a direct result of his wife’s drive and passion.
“To be honest, I wasn’t willing to open myself up, or my family up, to public scrutiny. It is my wife’s passion and my wife’s mission... If it was up to me I would be very private about it, but that’s not my wife’s style,” he said.
After sharing her story at the unveiling of the draft Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill at Parliament on May 16, Ms Gabrielides and her husband took part in a series of media interviews.
“Anne is an amazing woman who is very gregarious and wants to suck every last drop out of her life that she can. She’s really, really happy she has started this discussion,” said Mr Gabrielides. “It’s not going to be for everybody – and that’s the whole point. It’s simply about the right to make the choice when you get to that spot in life. And that’s all it is.”
Terminally ill NSW residents over the age of 25 would have the legal right to end their own lives with medical assistance under the draft legislation expected to be introduced to state Parliament in August.
To qualify under the draft Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill, the patient would have to be, in "reasonable medical judgment", expected to die from their illness within 12 months and be experiencing "extreme pain, suffering or physical incapacity". The decision must be signed off by two medical practitioners, including a specialist, and the patient assessed by an independent psychiatrist or psychologist to guarantee they are of sound mind and the decision made of their own free will. Other safeguards in the draft legislation include a 48-hour cooling-off period, the patient's ability to rescind the decision at any time and the right for close relatives to challenge patient eligibility in the Supreme Court.
Ms Gabrielides has launched a change.org petition imploring NSW MPs to support the legislation. The petition had been signed by more than 70,000 people on May 22.
Although he said everything else now “plays second fiddle” to looking after his wife, Mr Gabrielides said they both plan to follow the issue closely.
“When it is debated [in August] we intend to be in Parliament House so they can point to us and say ‘that’s what the bill is about’.”
