Antonya Cooper, a 77-year-old resident of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, passed away over the weekend after being diagnosed with terminal breast, pancreatic, and liver cancer, according to a statement released by her family.
Prior to her death, Cooper had confessed to administering a lethal dose of morphine to her terminally ill son, Hamish, in 1981, in order to end his suffering.The admission was made as part of her campaign to reform the assisted dying laws in England.
Despite her recent revelation, assisted dying remains illegal in England, and the police have stated that they are continuing their investigation into the case.
She had expressed her views on assisted dying, stating, “We don’t do it to our pets. Why should we do it to humans?” Her daughter, Tabitha, confirmed that Cooper died peacefully at home, surrounded by her loving family, exactly the way she wanted it.
Cooper’s family was visited by Thames Valley police after she shared her story about her son’s death in a BBC Radio Oxford interview. In the UK, assisting someone to die is illegal, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to allocate parliamentary time to debate the issue. Although MPs rejected moves to allow assisted dying in 2015, support for change has grown significantly among both MPs and the general public, with opinion polls showing 75% of the public backing the legalization of assisted dying.
Cooper, a resident of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, revealed that her son Hamish had experienced “horrendous suffering and intense pain” due to his stage 4 cancer and the “beastly” treatment he underwent. On Hamish’s last night, when he expressed that he was in a lot of pain, Cooper asked, “Would you like me to remove the pain?” to which Hamish replied, “Yes please, mama.” Cooper then administered a large dose of morphine through his Hickman catheter, which quietly ended his life.
Hamish had been diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that primarily affects children, at the age of five and was initially given a prognosis of three months. After 16 months of cancer treatment at Great Ormond Street hospital, his life was extended, but he was left in great pain. Cooper felt strongly that it was the right thing to do when Hamish asked her to remove his pain, as she did not want him to go through the horrendous suffering and intense pain he was facing. She acknowledged that her actions could potentially be considered manslaughter or murder.
Following Cooper’s interview, Thames Valley police stated that they were aware of reports relating to an apparent case of assisted dying of a seven-year-old boy in 1981. The force is currently making inquiries into these reports and is unable to comment further while the investigations continue.
Prior to her death, Cooper had confessed to administering a lethal dose of morphine to her terminally ill son, Hamish, in 1981, in order to end his suffering.The admission was made as part of her campaign to reform the assisted dying laws in England.
Despite her recent revelation, assisted dying remains illegal in England, and the police have stated that they are continuing their investigation into the case.
She had expressed her views on assisted dying, stating, “We don’t do it to our pets. Why should we do it to humans?” Her daughter, Tabitha, confirmed that Cooper died peacefully at home, surrounded by her loving family, exactly the way she wanted it.
Cooper’s family was visited by Thames Valley police after she shared her story about her son’s death in a BBC Radio Oxford interview. In the UK, assisting someone to die is illegal, but Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to allocate parliamentary time to debate the issue. Although MPs rejected moves to allow assisted dying in 2015, support for change has grown significantly among both MPs and the general public, with opinion polls showing 75% of the public backing the legalization of assisted dying.
Cooper, a resident of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, revealed that her son Hamish had experienced “horrendous suffering and intense pain” due to his stage 4 cancer and the “beastly” treatment he underwent. On Hamish’s last night, when he expressed that he was in a lot of pain, Cooper asked, “Would you like me to remove the pain?” to which Hamish replied, “Yes please, mama.” Cooper then administered a large dose of morphine through his Hickman catheter, which quietly ended his life.
Hamish had been diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that primarily affects children, at the age of five and was initially given a prognosis of three months. After 16 months of cancer treatment at Great Ormond Street hospital, his life was extended, but he was left in great pain. Cooper felt strongly that it was the right thing to do when Hamish asked her to remove his pain, as she did not want him to go through the horrendous suffering and intense pain he was facing. She acknowledged that her actions could potentially be considered manslaughter or murder.
Following Cooper’s interview, Thames Valley police stated that they were aware of reports relating to an apparent case of assisted dying of a seven-year-old boy in 1981. The force is currently making inquiries into these reports and is unable to comment further while the investigations continue.