A terminally ill British woman “peacefully” died by euthanasia while surrounded by her loved ones on a beach in New Zealand after fighting for assisted dying rights in the UK.
Tracy Hickman, 37, chose to spend her final moments Wednesday “on a beach in the sunshine” more than five years after she was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer during a routine mammogram, her close friend Dom Harvey revealed in an Instagram post.
“It was exactly what she wanted,” Harvey, who interviewed Hickman earlier this month, wrote.
Hickman described in detail what she expected her last moments on earth to look like, saying she would begin her final day with some “chocolate for breakfast.”
“I’m a real chocoholic. I’m not going to miss out on that,” she told Harvey in the May 9 interview. “Then I’m going to go to a beach with the people I really love. My sister and her husband. My niece, my partner, and a few close friends.
“Listen to the waves, see the sea, and put the rest of the medicine in and I will die.”
Hickman, an accountant, called the feeling of taking control of her death a “huge relief” since it allowed her to say her goodbyes to others in her life before she died.
“I feel I’ve been given this massive gift. I feel privileged,” she said. “How many people get a chance to do that when they pass away?”
She explained she was “fortunate” to be able to go out on her own terms.
Paul Qualtrough, Hickman’s partner who confirmed her death under the post, had told The Guardian last week that euthanasia was the “best of a bad set of shitty options.
“No one wants to see her go, but no one wants to see her suffer. The comfort I get is knowing (her death) will be gentle and on Tracy’s terms. It’s the best of a bad set of shitty options.”
The British-New Zealand national explained that she was “at peace” with the decision.
“The closer it gets, the more peaceful I feel,” Hickman wrote on Instagram, according to Leading Britain’s Conversation.
“But I’m so sorry for causing distress to my family and friends, although they understand. The alternative is to live for another couple of months or so but have an uncertain and painful death.”
Euthanasia is illegal in the UK, and any medical professional caught performing the act could be charged with manslaughter or even murder, according to the nation’s law.
Those found guilty could face up to 14 years in prison.
New Zealand introduced the “End of Life Choice Act” in 2019, which allows adults to euthanasia themselves if they have a terminal illness, are 18 or older, and have six months to live.
The procedure went into effect in 2021.
However, euthanasia for people suffering from mental illness, disability, or advanced age is not allowed.
Hickman was an outspoken advocate for euthanasia in the UK in the years since she discovered she had terminal breast cancer.
She even praised New Zealand for allowing the procedure, hoping the UK will one day follow suit.
“Look at what New Zealand has done, and do it even better. There is a lot of focus on the right to life, but people should have the right to a peaceful, gentle death,” she told The Guardian in the days leading up to her death.
Linda Clarke, Hickman’s sister, said she supported her right to choose her own death in the face of a terminal illness and hoped UK lawmakers would listen to her sister’s story.
“If Tracy was still in the UK, I’d have to watch her go through a horrific death,” Clarke told the outlet. “Anyone who doesn’t agree with assisted dying hasn’t watched a loved one go through this – the pain, the humiliation, everything taken away.”
British Parliament has debated the issue of euthanasia on multiple occasions over the years.
As recently as July 2022, legislation was introduced again to allow assisted dying, but the vote was never passed, according to the Petition.uk.
In the United States,11 states allow assisted dying or “physician-assisted dying,” which permits doctors to prescribe lethal drugs for self-administration in Oregon, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Washington, Hawaii, New Jersey, Vermont, Maine and Washington DC.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
