Heather Pratten
Written by Heather who helped her son to die
We’d both watched my husband die from the illness and knew the distress and agony it could cause. Nigel knew what was going on and that he did not want to be around to suffer anymore. On his 42nd birthday he told me the best present I could give him would be to end his life.
He didn’t want to die alone. I tried to persuade him against it but I would not let him die alone and promised him I would not let him fail. Looking back I still believe that it was his right to choose.
Other people have tried to end their lives and failed and then been left in an even worse situation than they were previously in. I was put on bail for murder for being with Nigel and putting a pillow over his face when he lost consciousness from the overdose.
In the end I was charged with aiding and abetting a suicide and received a conditional discharge for 1 year. I wish that Nigel could have asked a doctor to help him to die legally and peacefully.