Lawrie Daniel Wiki
Lawrie Daniel Biography
Who was Lawrie Daniel?
Lawrie Daniel, 51, committed suicide in 2016 after developing multiple sclerosis, a condition that left him bedridden for 20 hours a day and unable to use his arms or legs.
The father, from the Blue Mountains in NSW, arranged for his wife and his two teenage sons to go on holiday to Sydney while he ended his life in his bedroom.
Bertie Daniel, now 21, said his father should have been able to die by euthanasia surrounded by his loved ones, rather than alone in a dark room.
He is campaigning for assisted dying to be legalized in New South Wales, the only state in Australia where there is no such law.
The issue is the subject of an emotionally charged debate. Proponents say that assisted dying is about dignity in death, while opponents argue that such laws place a value on what is worth living.
Family
Lawrie Daniel, 51, sent his family on vacation before taking his own life after being diagnosed with the nerve disease multiple sclerosis. His father wanted to die by euthanasia, but the practice is still illegal in New South Wales. He is pictured with his son Bertie and his daughter Darcie .
Mr Daniel, who now campaigns for assisted dying, told Daily Mail Australia: “If we had assisted death it wouldn’t have been so sudden, we would have been able to say our goodbyes.”
‘Instead, (my father) had to die alone without any of his loved ones by his side.’
Causes of Death
Mr. Daniel said that his father had no choice but to send his family away so that they would not be accused of being an accessory to his death.
“We went into town and had a great time. We woke up the next morning and were on our way home when we received a phone call from the police,” said Daniel.
“Finding out that he did it to himself was a huge surprise, we didn’t have any kind of warning.”
The 51-year-old former carpenter left a final letter to her wife Rebecca, in which he apologized for the impact her suicide would have on her and her children.
Perrottet said it was not an abstract debate for him, recalling how he had recently sat with his dying grandmother in the hospital.
“I realized that he was in great pain and that he wanted it to end,” he said.
‘I have an idea, as much as anyone can, why those in so much pain would want to end it quickly.’
However, he said: ‘Once we accept the principle of this bill, we will cross a line and nothing will be the same, as we will have begun to define the value of a life.’
Queensland became the fifth state to legalize assisted dying in September, although access to the scheme will not be available until January 1, 2023.
The state bill allows those with an advanced, progressive, and terminal illness, disease, or medical condition to access voluntary assisted dying.
Their condition must be expected to cause death within a year, they must have decision-making power and proceed without coercion.
New South Wales’ assisted dying bill was debated by the state’s upper house this week.
