Father of three and Google manager asks for assisted dying laws in NSW

When Scott Riddle returned to Australia last year after years spent working in San Francisco, he was fit and well, and looking forward to settling back into the Australian way of life with his young family.

But his shock diagnosis with cancer in July set him on a different path – as a campaigner for euthanasia in NSW.

Mr Riddle is calling on the NSW government to introduce voluntary assisted dying laws similar to those passed in Victoria last year.

Mr Riddle said being able to have some control over the way you die could help remove some of the fear about death for terminally ill people.

“There’s a fear of what your own death might be like, not only for you, but also for your family and friends,” he told nine.com.au.

Mr Riddle’s popular blog outlines his reasons for supporting assisted dying.

“Everyone has had different exposure to death,” he writes.

“For some the experience is peaceful and assuring. For some it’s awful and traumatic.”

Mr Riddle says often people’s experience of death leads them to ask family and friends,  “Please don’t ever let that happen to me.”

Though Mr Riddle has recently been cleared of cancer after aggressive treatment, it’s highly likely the disease will return.

His illness has lead him to get involved with Dying with Dignity, an organisation that is lobbying for voluntary assisted dying laws across Australia.

Victoria’s assisted dying laws will come into force next year, and will allow people over the age of 18 to end their own lives. The law requires that the person has a terminal illness that means they have less than six months to live, and must have lived in Victoria for more than a year. Doctors must determine that the person is in intolerable pain and be of sound mind.

You can read Scott Riddell’s blog here. And read his blog about assisted dying laws here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Turn Your Bathroom Upside Down: Safety Proofing Your Bathroom for an Elderly Loved One

“Persons between the age of 75 and 85 are twice as likely as the average person to suffer a nonfatal injury in the bathroom.” ~ The CDCThis is why the bathroom is one of the first areas you should work to safety proof in your loved one’s home. While you may think this is something... Read More

Hospital’s Medication Error Leads to Death

When you or a loved one go to hospital, you would hope and imagine that you would get the best care possible. That means getting the right procedure from a capable doctor, being cared for being a responsible nurse and getting all the right medications. But for one patient, that sadly did not happen –... Read More

Man Converts Mobility Scooter Into Tank To Raise Funds For Remembrance Day

As the world struggled to come to grips with the devastation of World War 1, the poppy flowers that grew amongst the graves of fallen soldiers became a symbol of the sacrifices that were made and a reminder that new life goes on. Those poppy flowers were immortalised in a poem called ‘In Flanders Fields’... Read More
Advertisement