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Euthanasia - The Catholic debate. Annie Lindsell - Fighting for the right to die. Annie Lindsell died at the age of 47 after a five year battle against motor neurone disease. Annie, a former air hostess from Teddington, South London, often said that she feared the “living hell” of suffering and choking and didn’t want to live her last few days in a “state of indignity and distress”. After watching several of her friends dying, and suffering, from this disease, she became aware of what was in store for her. She decided that she didn’t want to spend her last few days paralysed and slowly suffocating. She decided that she wanted to die. As a result of this came a High Court battle to win the right to allow her doctor to administer pain relieving drugs when the time came. She wanted the reassurance that he would not face prosecution if he administered the drugs in a high enough dosage that would kill her. Although in the end she was granted this assurance, it was never actually needed as she died without the aid of the drugs from a respiratory failure caused by the progression of the disease. This case sparked off a national outcry as Lindsell became known as one of the most effective advocates of Euthanasia.
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