A mother with terminal cancer who feared a bad death says having the choice to end her life when she is ready under Victoria's voluntary euthanasia laws is a huge relief.
Margaret Radmore, a nurse of more than 40 years, has been given 12 months to live after being diagnosed with bowel cancer which has spread to her liver.
In March, she decided to stop chemotherapy and "let nature take its course".
"One of my very first thoughts when I was given my diagnosis, is the terror of anticipating a bad death," she said on Sunday, noting a good death was a person being as a comfortable as possible.
Ms Radmore is expected to be among a dozen Victorians, on average over 12 months, to access a fatal cocktail of drugs during the voluntary euthanasia scheme's first year.
From Wednesday, terminally ill Victorians who meet 68 safeguards can ask their doctor to access the drugs.
"When this legislation was passed it was a huge relief to me," Ms Radmore said.
"I am perfectly comfortable with my fate and it is a very sad thing to be living through but the fact that I have control at the end is really important to me.
"I might not even use the medication but just knowing it is there. I am really keen to start the process to have the kit because then I can just put it in the cupboard and just get on with living."
The government expects the uptake for the lethal concoction to rise to between 100 and 150 annually.
Premier Daniel Andrews said it has been a long journey for many people who had advocated for "more dignified, more compassionate choices at the end of a person's life".
"Ultimately this is about giving to Victorians who have a terminal illness and are in the terminal phase of that illness and have unbearable pain and suffering the option, the dignifying choice," he told reporters on Sunday.
More than 2200 people have attended information sessions about the new laws with 106 medical practitioners trained or soon to be trained, as of Friday, to provide the care.
The government has put $72 million in the budget for extra palliative care services.
Share
