VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (15:30): Many times in this house I have discussed issues associated with voluntary euthanasia and I have also discussed what I consider is the tragic death of Mark Leigep. As a result of that, I wrote to his mother, Joanne Dunn, of Venus Bay. I would like to thank the member for Flinders' office for assisting us in doing that. Yesterday, I received a letter from Ms Joanne Dunn and I would like to read it to the house. Joanne is very happy for me to do this, I might add. It says:

Dear Stephanie,

Thank you for taking the time to write to me, it was much appreciated. On the 3^rd of September I moved into Mark's room at Highgate Park where at 10am that morning his feeding and hydration tube were removed. I never left his side in 26 days and he passed away in my arms on the 28^th Sept. It was the worst experience of my life to say the least and I'm still having nightmares from this. He was in the end euthanased in the most terrible way. In the 26 days, he fitted regularly and ended drowning in his own blood. I kept a daily diary of the harrowing time the nurses, staff and myself had to endure. In this time not only was my son's dignity taken from him but mine as well. He deteriorated that quickly that even his family had to be kept away as it was that shocking so I was left alone with my son to cope with his loss on my own. The nurses and staff were the only ones that kept me together and many a time in that 26 days did we all break down together but still I would do it all again tomorrow to save Mark from enduring another 10 years or more in a body with no life. No-one should have to go through what I did in the last 6½ yrs. I feel the government owes me, for what they put me through. No medical staff should have to watch a patient die the way Mark did after caring for him that long. They loved him too. I met other families who want their children to die also, but are too scared to take the measures I did. Mark is free now. He died 6½ yrs ago but it has taken that long to bury him. My ordeal will live on. I will keep up my fight for euthanasia as I don't want anyone to go through what I did. It's not for everyone, but we should have that choice. Thanking you again for your time and if there is anything I can do to help in this fight I will break doors to be a part of it.

Yours sincerely, Joanne C. Dunn.

As you can imagine, that is a very difficult letter to receive. I had the opportunity to speak to Joanne yesterday and she talked to me about the ordeal that she and her family went through.

I see South Australia as a civilised place. There are lots of discussions that we have in here, and outside, about ethics, and we talk about values, but I would say this: in 2012, we have a young man who has been unresponsive to any stimulation for 6½ years and with no prospect of a change in his circumstance, and either he must remain in this condition forever or starve to death in a medical situation. To me, that seems like a ridiculous way of dealing with a very difficult situation.