A mother living with a devastating, incurable illness made the heartbreaking decision to end her life by refusing food and water.
Emma Bray, a familiar and respected voice in the right-to-die movement, had been battling motor neurone disease (MND). The condition is a progressive and fatal neurological disorder that has no known cure.
Even though she poured her energy into raising awareness and pushing for change, assisted dying is still not legal in the UK. So, Emma made the personal and painful choice to end her life by starving herself before MND could completely take over her body. In its later stages, the disease causes full-body paralysis.
Emma didn’t hold back when describing her condition, calling MND ‘the worst disease possible’.
While speaking with The Mirror back in June, Emma opened up about the emotional weight of that decision. She said: “Imagine seeing your children crying and upset and not be able to hug them or curl up in bed and wipe their tears away.”
Just two days ago, Emma peacefully marked what she called her ‘final spin round the sun’.
“I’ve lived a very good life, surrounded by love, music and laughter and I want this to continue in my memory. Rather than shed a tear (or whilst you do) please plant a tree or call a friend, do a random act of kindness or take time to watch a sunset.”
“For moments of doubt please ask ‘what would Emma do?’ and run with that probably inappropriate answer. Hug everyone a little tighter and love openly.”
Emma made it a point to live her life with meaning and joy even as her health worsened. She tried to fill her remaining time with love, experiences, and memories that mattered to her.
According to The Mirror, the mother of two checked off a few bucket list dreams, including a special trip to the Maldives. She also hosted a heartfelt ‘End of Life Party’ surrounded by loved ones.
Because she was fully aware of what was ahead, Emma also carefully planned her own funeral service. She even wrote her own eulogy, wanting to have a say in how her life was remembered.