‘I watched my husband decompose while still alive – we must legalise assisted dying’

A widow has recalled the horror of watching her husband “decomposing while he was still alive” in the weeks before he died of , as she joined a rally in support of .

Campaigners gathered outside the ’s parliament this morning ahead of a landmark vote which could see the island become the first place in the British Isles to change its law.

Members of the House of Keys were expected to take part in a final debate and vote on Tuesday afternoon. If the assisted dying Bill passes, it will pile further pressure onto MPs in Westminster to support Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s similar bill, which is currently undergoing close scrutiny by a committee.

Sue Biggerstaff, 65, was among residents who joined the rally outside Tynwald to show their support for the legislation.

She held a placard showing a photo of her husband Simon, who died of motor neurone disease (MND) in May 2021, just 11 months after receiving a shock diagnosis.

She said: “It was very rapid. He was paralysed from the neck down within two months. He started swallowing his teeth and literally, his body was decomposing. Nobody should live through that.

“I thought it was a one-off, but having spoken to various nurses, I now know this is quite common. It’s horrible to watch and it’s agony for the person.”

Simon realised something was wrong after repeatedly falling over while walking his dog and at work. His deterioration was so swift that he had to borrow a Zimmer frame walking aid while waiting to see a specialist.

At the end of his life he was receiving assistance to breathe, a peg for feeding and had four drivers delivering morphine. Ms Biggerstaff said: “He was still in pain because his body was decomposing while he was still alive.

“There was nothing they could do, no matter how good the care. He was in agony all the time and constantly asked for it to be made to stop.”

As his condition worsened, Simon revealed he intended to refuse food when his suffering became unbearable.

Ms Biggerstaff added: “He said that about a month before he went. Unfortunately, all this really horribleness came in after and it takes a month to die from starving yourself. He didn’t have a month left by the time it got completely intolerable.

“That’s why you need something that can be decided upon that’s quicker than that. Nobody should have to starve themselves to death. People do, and it’s not a nice way to go.”

Ms Biggerstaff, who has lived in the Isle of Man since 1988, said she would be “thrilled” if the Bill was passed.

She added: “If it passes, it’s wonderful and all the reliving Simon’s story and the upset will have been worth it, if it stops anybody going through what he had to go through.

“The last two weeks of his life were absolutely awful. And it’s not just the dying person, it’s the people around them – his children and his grandchildren, all the family.

“Why shouldn’t we lead the way? Why shouldn’t we be the first in the British Isles and hopefully everybody else will follow suit.”

The assisted dying Bill introduced by MHK Dr Alex Allinson has passed through several stages already. Members of the Legislative Council voted in favour by a landslide of seven to one in January, and made several amendments.

MHKs are now due to vote on whether to accept those amendments. If the Bill passes this final hurdle, it will be sent for Royal Assent and an implementation period will begin.

Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying, said: “The Isle of Man is set to make history on Tuesday; likely to become the first place in the British Isles to grant its citizens true choice at the end of life.

“We pay special tribute to the Manx families who intimately understand the dangers of banning assisted dying, and who have fought for so long for a safer, fairer future. That future is now within touching distance.”