75-Year-Old Healthy Woman Commits Suicide Out of Fear of Becoming Weak at Old Age

Posted by George on Mon 03rd Aug, 2015 - tori.ng

A healthy former nurse chose to end her life at a Swiss suicide clinic because she did not want to become a burden on her family or the National Health Service.

Gill Pharaoh

A 75-year old English woman named Gill Pharaoh who feels she has lived long enough decided to terminate her own life for fear of not being a burden to her family or the United Kingdom National Health Service, NHS.

The deceased happened to be a former nurse. She reportedly committed suicide at a Swiss suicide clinic on the 21st of July. She traveled to the clinic that helps individuals in committing suicide through a mutual agreement with her husband. They both spent the evening together with a last supper.

Gill Pharaoh and her husband

In a blog post two months before she died, Mrs Pharaoh explained why she had chosen to die. In her words:

"Until I was seventy I was very fit and able to fully participate in any activity I wanted to do. I felt I could still be busy and useful and fairly productive. Then I had a severe attack of Shingles and it all changed. At seventy five I am told I look ok and I take no medication.

"However, I feel my life is complete and I am ready to die. My family are well and happy – their lives are full and busy. I can no longer walk the distances I used to enjoy so the happy hours spent exploring the streets of London are just a memory now.'

"I have had to make my exit while I am in my right mind and capable of doing so without too much assistance, because I am afraid of compromising the people around me whom I love.

"I have had to do this outside my home, and without telling too many people for the same reason. I have written my goodbyes and tidied my life and hope I have managed to exit as unobtrusively as possible. I have always held a donor card but that will be redundant now.

"If I could have booked my death quite openly, I could have had a party before I died, in the way that people have done, and continue to do, in Switzerland and other places.

"In which case, perhaps any of my body parts that could be reused could be collected immediately. I could also be sure that I will never be an old lady blocking beds in a hospital ward. This would save the NHS a fortune.'

She reportedly arranged her funeral before she died. Her decision wasn't acceptable to her two children but their mother's mind was made up.