A couple from UK has decided to use specially designed ‘suicide pod’ to share their final moments together in an embrace. Peter and Christine Scott, residents of Suffolk, England, have announced the decision to end their lives together following Christine’s diagnosis with early-stage vascular dementia, News.com.au reported. The couple, married for 46 years, will make their journey to Switzerland, a country where voluntary assisted suicide has been legal since 1942.
The Sarco machine, invented by Australian Dr Philip Nitschke, is a device that allows individuals to initiate the assisted dying process with a simple flick from within its sleek, futuristic pod. The capsule, resembling a car, is being offered by The Last Resort, a Swiss organisation specialising in assisted suicide, with which the couple has now registered. The 3D-printed capsule operates by filling the enclosed pod with nitrogen, gradually replacing the oxygen. Within about a minute, the individual loses consciousness, with reports suggesting the process is free from panic and distress. As the oxygen levels continue to drop, the person eventually suffocates and dies.
The couple has expressed their desire to avoid the long, painful process of aging and the potential burden of hospital treatments that could drain their savings. They shared that they have enjoyed a fulfilling life together, but the thought of enduring years of care, both mentally and physically, was not an option they were willing to face.
Peter, a former Royal Air Force pilot, admitted that watching Christine, once a nurse who has cared for dementia patients herself, slowly lose her mental abilities would be “horrific” for him. “I would not want to go on living without her. I don’t want to go into care, to be lying in bed dribbling and incontinent – I don’t call that a life,” Peter told The Daily Mail.
In England and Wales, assisting someone in ending their own life remains illegal and carries a severe penalty. Those found guilty can face up to 14 years in prison.
The couple has already planned their final days, which includes a peaceful walk in Swiss Alps, enjoying a meal of fish with wine and listening to their favourite songs. “The capsule for two people works exactly the same as the single Sarco but there is only one button so they will decide between them who will push it. Then they’ll be able to hold each other.” Dr Nitschke told The Daily Mail.
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