While voluntary assisted dying is a deeply personal topic, we’re honoured to welcome Go Gentle Australia as a new charity partner, an organisation advocating for compassion, dignity, and choice at life’s end.
David Levitt knew he would be one of the first to apply for Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) when it became legal in Queensland.
The cancer in his brain was spreading quickly. As director of General Paediatrics and Dermatology at the Queensland Children’s Hospital he knew what his end of life could bring. There would be seizures, hallucinations and breathing problems. Eventually, he would be completely dependent on others, unable to speak, eat, or move.
Pauline McGrath, David’s wife, says there were three things he wanted at the end of his life. “He wanted control. He wanted not to die in pain, and he wanted to die at home surrounded by his family”.
In April 2023, David swallowed the VAD substance with Pauline and their daughters Claire 26 and Hannah 23 by his side.“We laid him in bed and we talked to him about how loved he was.” As David drifted into a deep sleep, Pauline lay with her head on his chest and for the next half-hour listened until his heartbeat fell silent. “It was quiet and calm, and it was incredibly peaceful.”
Since 2016, Go Gentle Australia, founded by broadcaster Andrew Denton, has led the campaign to ensure all terminally ill people have the choice of a peaceful death like David’s. In just seven years, all states and the ACT have introduced VAD laws. Only the Northern Territory is yet to act.
With 98 per cent of Australians now living where VAD is a legal choice, Go Gentle is focused on making sure the NT joins the rest of the country and that VAD services deliver equitable, high-quality care.
“We are hearing many stories of ‘good’ deaths made possible by VAD,” says Go Gentle’s CEO Dr Linda Swan. “Doctors and nurses, too, are talking about the relief they’ve felt being able to offer patients a choice.”
But there is much still to do. “It can be a challenge to find a doctor willing and able to do the assessments and there is a lack of awareness. One recent study found that two thirds of people did not know VAD was legal.”
There are also hospitals and hospices – and individuals – who seek to obstruct or discourage people from making their own decisions. Some opponents have even declared their intention to see the hard-won VAD laws repealed, state by state.
That’s why Go Gentle’s ongoing work, supported by Third Link, is so important. “We are a small charity and we have always punched above our weight,” Dr Swan says. “There have been some big wins but we cannot rest until VAD is an established part of end-of-life care with appropriate federal and state funding. Until then the laws, services and workforce are all at risk.”
Pauline McGrath says her husband’s decision to use VAD was always his to make, but his family was fully supportive of his wishes.
“Working in health, I’ve seen a number of deaths,” Pauline says. ”David had a good death because he had control and it was just us at home. We are so grateful we could give him what he wanted, surrounded by love.”
To find out more about Go Gentle Australia’s work or discuss how the charity and Third Link are working together to support end-of-life choice, contact CEO Dr Linda Swan on 0421 753 993 or ceo@gogentleaustralia.org.au
