A terminally-ill man has issued a final plea to parliamentarians to legalise assisted dying, on the day he is due to die at a Swiss clinic.
In a video released on Friday, Richard Selley from Perth called on MSPs to support an assisted dying bill to allow other terminally-ill people to have the option to end their lives at home on their own terms.
The 65-year-old retired teacher, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2015, travelled to the Dignitas clinic in Zurich with wife Elaine this week, saying he did not want to suffer any longer.
In his last video, released by Dignity in Dying Scotland, Richard said he was entering the final stage of his journey.
“I hope that members of the Scottish Parliament support an assisted dying bill in the future,” he said.
“I think the momentum for a change in the law is growing.
“It will be too late for me but I hope that sometime soon people in my position will have the choice to have a peaceful death at a time of their choosing.”
“Since my diagnosis with MND four years ago, I have lost the ability to walk, talk and swallow,” he said.
“I have also lost most of the power in my arms.
“Despite these losses I have tried very hard to remain positive and my palliative care has been outstanding.
“However, as I enter the final stage of my journey, I don’t wish to suffer for much longer so I am seeking an assisted death with Dignitas.”
He added: “Despite what some people think, Dignitas do not let people simply fly to Zurich, knock on their door and ask o die.
“I have already had to compose letters, write a life story and obtain medical records that prove that I am terminally ill.
“This has been stressful, particularly as my GP was advised to refuse my request for an up-to-date medical report.”
Richard said having assisted dying available in Switzerland was welcome but it was costing him around £10,000.
“I am fortunate that I can afford this, but most people cannot,” he said.
“Having to be able to fly means that I am choosing to die earlier than I would prefer.
“If an assisted death was possible in Scotland, I would be able to die at a time of my choosing at home.”
Ally Thomson, director of Dignity in Dying Scotland, said Richard and Elaine had shown “immense bravery and dignity” in sharing their story in their final weeks together and claimed Scotland’s law on assisted dying was outdated and broken.
“The outpouring of support they have received from members of the public and parliamentarians has been overwhelming but not surprising,” he said.
