Yesterday I spoke with Raf Epstein from ABC Radio Melbourne about 𝗛𝗲𝗺'𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘄.
Three questions came up that seem to be raised in many conversations about this issue.
"𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵?"
Because this death has been invisible for too long. There are thousands of Australians experiencing this trauma every year and we are all expected to just accept it and I say it is unacceptable. The photograph exists so we can have an open conversation about what death from dementia is actually like, so that the people making laws about end of life - or those making judgements about what others should be able to decide - can no longer claim they didn't know what it looks like.
"𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵?"
The honest answer is: we don't know. And that is precisely the problem. No one has ever returned from the experience of dying to tell us whether the pain relief was adequate or not. Every confidence we express about what a dying person feels, or doesn't feel, is an assumption made by the living about an experience they have not had. We are guessing. And we are calling that compassion.
"𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗩𝗔𝗗?"
No, and the distinction is important. VAD is considered a quality of life judgement. It is a decision made by someone to end a life before the dying process has begun, but when it is expected within 6-12 months.
Hem's Law a different kind of decision - a quality of death. By the time a person loses the ability to swallow, it is irreversible and death is certain within days to weeks. The only question is whether that death is prolonged and traumatic, or merciful.
Critically, the trigger activates Hem's Law cannot be faked, induced, or accelerated. You cannot force someone to lose the ability to swallow. And you cannot stop the death from proceeding when it happens.
𝗛𝗲𝗺'𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝘆, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗻.
If you'd like to hear the full conversation, it's here: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/melbourne-mornings/family-s-plea-for-loved-ones-to-die-with-dignity-/106520928
If you signed weeks ago and haven't shared recently - now is the moment. Hem's Law has now passed 10,000 signatures and been covered by ABC Melbourne with over 1.2k comments on the Facebook post sharing this interview - 98% of them overwhelmingly in support of Hem's Law: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1506076361093938
Momentum like this is how campaigns reach parliaments. One share today puts this in front of someone who hasn't found it yet.
Share the petition. Share this interview. Tell one person what dying from dementia actually looks like.
With much gratitude,
Angie (Founder, Hem's Law)