Mother admits to helping end her terminally ill son’s life

A mother has admitted giving her terminally ill seven-year-old son massive doses of morphine to end his suffering and “end his life peacefully”.

Antonya Cooper, from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, said her son Hamish had stage 4 cancer and was “in a lot of pain” before he died in 1981.

Now facing his own terminal diagnosis, he has signed on to BBC Radio Oxford as part of an effort to change the law on assisted dying.

Police said they are investigating her case. Assisted suicide – intentionally helping another person end their life – and euthanasia – intentionally ending another person’s life – are illegal in the UK.

Hamish has neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that mostly affects children.

He was five years old when he was diagnosed and was initially given a prognosis of three months.

After 16 months of “beastly” cancer treatment. at Great Ormond Street Hospital, his life was complete but left in great pain, according to his mother.

She said: “On Hamish’s last night, when he said he was in so much pain, I said: ‘Do you want me to take the pain away?’ and said: ‘Yes please, mother.’

“And through him Hickman Catheter KabI gave him a large dose of morphine which quietly ended his life.”

BBC Radio Oxford asked the 77-year-old if he believed his son knew he was going to end his life.

She replied: “I feel strongly that when Hamish told me he was in pain, and asked if I could take the pain away, he knew, he knew what was going to happen.

“But I can’t tell you why or how, but I’m his mother, he loves his mother, and I love him very much, and I’m not going to suffer, and I think I know where he’s going.”

He continued: “It’s the truth. My son is in the most terrible pain and he’s in so much pain, I’m not going to let him go through that.”

Asked if he knew he would potentially plead guilty to murder or manslaughter, he replied: “Yes.”

“If they come 43 years after I let Hamish die in peace, then I have to face the consequences. But they have to be quick, because I died too,” she added.

Forty years after Hamish’s death, his mother was diagnosed with incurable cancer.

He said his own suffering and ill health had shaped his feelings about assisted dying.

“We don’t do it for our pets. Why should we do it for humans?” she said.

The so-called “right to die” campaign has argued that people should be able to choose when and how to die in order to avoid suffering.

Critics say it would change the law “puts pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives” for fear of being a financial or emotional burden.

MPs recently discussed the issue in a parliamentary debatewhere the government says it is a matter of conscience for individual parliaments rather than one for government policy.

In a statement, Thames Valley Police said it was “aware of reports relating to the case of the assisted death of a seven-year-old boy in 1981”.

He added: “At this early stage the force is making inquiries about the report and cannot comment further while the investigation continues.”

It’s a very complex and controversial subject, but it’s still gaining momentum.

Assisted dying is a term used to describe a situation in which a terminally ill person requests medical assistance to take medication that can cause death. Assisted suicide is helping someone end their life.

Both are illegal in the UK, but recently, Scotland, Jersey and the Isle of Man all announced they were considering changing their laws to allow terminally ill people to end their lives.

One hundred and ninety cases have been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service over 15 years. Most have not been prosecuted, there have been four successful prosecutions.

If you have been affected by any of the problems in this story, the BBC Action Line have links to organizations that can provide support and advice