Man wins right to die

[Lee Hsien Tau]

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Aug 14, 2009
Man wins right to die

Mr Christian Rossiter had the right to direct his own treatment, and that food and water 'should not be administered against his wishes'. --PHOTO: DREAMSTIME.COM


PERTH - AN AUSTRALIAN court on Friday ruled that a quadriplegic man who has begged to be allowed to die has the right to order his carers to stop feeding him.

In a landmark decision, Western Australia's chief judge Wayne Martin said the Brightwater Care Group would not be criminally responsible if it stopped feeding and hydrating severely paralysed Christian Rossiter, 49.

Judge Martin said Mr Rossiter had the right to direct his own treatment, and that food and water 'should not be administered against his wishes'.

The ruling sets a legal precedent in Australia, where assisting someone to take their own life is a crime punishable by life in prison in some states.

The judge found Mr Rossiter was not terminally ill or dying and had the mental capacity to make an informed decision about stopping his treatment.

Judge Martin ordered that medical staff fully explain to Mr Rossiter the consequences of ceasing nutrition and hydration through a tube into his stomach.

In a statement read to the court on Friday, the former stockbroker and outdoor adventurer said he was unable to undertake the most basic of human functions.

'I am unable to blow my nose,' he said. 'I am unable to wipe the tears from my eyes.' He made a public plea last week to be allowed to end his suffering, which he described as a 'living hell'.

'I'm Christian Rossiter and I'd like to die. I am a prisoner in my own body. I can't move,' he told reporters.

'I have no fear of death - just pain. I only fear pain.' Mr Rossiter developed spastic quadriplegia after separate accidents in which he fell 30m from a building and was then hit by a car whilst riding his bicycle.

'I believe (quadriplegics) should be allowed to exercise their freedom of choice but my choice is to die,' he said.

'I can't wipe my own bottom. I'm fed suppositories every three days to induce me to open my bowels and it's a very painful process that can take six to eight hours,' he added.

Brightwater, the group that runs the nursing home where Mr Rossiter lives, sought a court ruling on whether ceasing to feed him would place it in breach of its duty of care, and said it held no position on his wish to die. -- AFP

 

[singveld]

death by hunger
now that is sad

he should do drug
OD is the way to go for his situation
not recommend for teenage or adults who are not in his situation

 

[Lee Hsien Tau]

I fully agree.

Should help him a little. There are so many ways:

1. Carbon Monoxide fed by nose breather.
2. Morphine.
3. Doloxene.
4. Pentobarbital, all by drip.

You know where I can get hold of these.

Eventually, I'm going to be like him.

Trouble with passing motion. Had one case beside me in Neuro SGH ward.

Fella kept asking for rat poison.

death by hunger
now that is sad

he should do drug
OD is the way to go for his situation
not recommend for teenage or adults who are not in his situation

 

[SamuelStalin]

Home > Breaking News > World > Story

Aug 14, 2009
Man wins right to die

Mr Christian Rossiter had the right to direct his own treatment, and that food and water 'should not be administered against his wishes'. --PHOTO: DREAMSTIME.COM


PERTH - AN AUSTRALIAN court on Friday ruled that a quadriplegic man who has begged to be allowed to die has the right to order his carers to stop feeding him.

In a landmark decision, Western Australia's chief judge Wayne Martin said the Brightwater Care Group would not be criminally responsible if it stopped feeding and hydrating severely paralysed Christian Rossiter, 49.

Judge Martin said Mr Rossiter had the right to direct his own treatment, and that food and water 'should not be administered against his wishes'.

The ruling sets a legal precedent in Australia, where assisting someone to take their own life is a crime punishable by life in prison in some states.

The judge found Mr Rossiter was not terminally ill or dying and had the mental capacity to make an informed decision about stopping his treatment.

Judge Martin ordered that medical staff fully explain to Mr Rossiter the consequences of ceasing nutrition and hydration through a tube into his stomach.

In a statement read to the court on Friday, the former stockbroker and outdoor adventurer said he was unable to undertake the most basic of human functions.

'I am unable to blow my nose,' he said. 'I am unable to wipe the tears from my eyes.' He made a public plea last week to be allowed to end his suffering, which he described as a 'living hell'.

'I'm Christian Rossiter and I'd like to die. I am a prisoner in my own body. I can't move,' he told reporters.

'I have no fear of death - just pain. I only fear pain.' Mr Rossiter developed spastic quadriplegia after separate accidents in which he fell 30m from a building and was then hit by a car whilst riding his bicycle.

'I believe (quadriplegics) should be allowed to exercise their freedom of choice but my choice is to die,' he said.

'I can't wipe my own bottom. I'm fed suppositories every three days to induce me to open my bowels and it's a very painful process that can take six to eight hours,' he added.

Brightwater, the group that runs the nursing home where Mr Rossiter lives, sought a court ruling on whether ceasing to feed him would place it in breach of its duty of care, and said it held no position on his wish to die. -- AFP

He should come to me and die by my hand. I'd make it quick and easy for him

 

[scoobyhoo]

I fully agree.

Should help him a little. There are so many ways:

1. Carbon Monoxide fed by nose breather.
2. Morphine.
3. Doloxene.
4. Pentobarbital, all by drip.

You know where I can get hold of these.

Eventually, I'm going to be like him.

Trouble with passing motion. Had one case beside me in Neuro SGH ward.

Fella kept asking for rat poison.

bro, be optimistic. have a thorough check-up and see what's the cause. if this is merely due to the life-style, perhaps chinese physician and some circular massage on your stomach will help.

 

[Lee Hsien Tau]

Already had enough done.

Not the type the Old Fart undergoes, but MRI showed cause, operation only temporary etc.

I'm a useless Sinkie now.

Must make preparations.

bro, be optimistic. have a thorough check-up and see what's the cause. if this is merely due to the life-style, perhaps chinese physician and some circular massage on your stomach will help.

 

[Lee Hsien Tau]

Home > Breaking News > World > Story

Sep 21, 2009
Man who won right to die dies

Severely paralysed Christian Rossiter (centre), 49, died in a nursing home in the western city of Perth in the early hours of Monday after developing a chest infection, his brother Tim Rossiter said in a statement. -- PHOTO: AFP


PERTH - AN AUSTRALIAN quadriplegic who last month won the landmark legal right to starve himself to death by preventing his carers from feeding him died on Monday, his family said.

Severely paralysed Christian Rossiter, 49, died in a nursing home in the western city of Perth in the early hours of Monday after developing a chest infection, his brother Tim Rossiter said in a statement.

'I thank all those who have made Christian's life, in his final years, as comfortable and as dignified as possible,' he said.

Lawyer John Hammond, who five weeks ago won a court battle that allowed Mr Rossiter to refuse food and water, said his passing would have come as a 'relief'.

'I think Christian will be remembered as someone who was very brave and took up a fight which will give a lot of people comfort,' Hammond told Channel Seven television.

'Essentially he won the right to refuse food and medication so he could die if he wanted to,' he said.

In the historic ruling, a court ruled in August that Mr Rossiter, a former stockbroker and outdoor adventurer who became a quadriplegic following two separate accidents, had the right to refuse to be fed.

Western Australia's chief judge Wayne Martin said Mr Rossiter had the right to direct his own treatment and that his carers, Brightwater Care Group, would not be criminally responsible if it complied with his wishes.

Mr Rossiter had asked the Brightwater Care Group at least 40 times to stop feeding and hydrating him through a tube to his stomach before he took the case to court.

Mr Rossiter had pleaded to be allowed to end his suffering, which he described as a 'living hell'.

'I'm Christian Rossiter and I'd like to die. I am a prisoner in my own body. I can't move,' he told reporters. 'I have no fear of death - just pain. I only fear pain.' -- AFP