Campaigner says we should chose when we decide to die

Angela Kilenyi, from Teddington, last spoke to The Richmond Times in 2019 when her late husband, Tom, was suffering from prostate cancer.

The couple were planning to travel to Switzerland for an assisted suicide procedure if his hormone therapy failed – which is illegal under current UK law.

But while in the process of finalising arrangements Tom’s condition deteriorated, and he died aged 88, on October 1, 2019 in palliative care.

Ms Kilenyi said he was left in “utter agony”, suffering from extreme indigestion which saw him dehydrate and starve in a “harrowing” two weeks until his death.

Tom’s end has only strengthened Ms Kilenyi’s resolve to fight for the right for assisted suicide.

Angela and Tom Kilenyi

“It was a living nightmare. How can it be a humane society when we leave people to die in these circumstances? You wouldn’t leave a dog to die like this,” she said.

Assisting suicide is a criminal offence in England and Wales, carrying a maximum prison sentence of 14 years – which Ms Kelanyi brands “medieval”.

Whereas in Ireland and Scotland the movement to change the law on assisted suicide is at ‘a tipping point’.

She says it should be a “no brainer” for the UK to follow suit based on human rights.

The 68-year-old works for campaign group Dignity in Dying, which is active across Richmond, Twickenham and Kingston.

The national organisation argues that dying people with six months or less to live should have the option to control their death.

Ms Kilenyi is urging other people to contact their MPs, to lobby Parliament for a change in law.

“Many of us are waylaid by trauma of Covid-19, but it’s making us all think of death a little more,” she added.