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The distinguished British conductor Sir Edward Downes and his wife Lady Joan have ended their lives at the Dignitas clinic in Zurich, their children revealed today.
The 85-year-old maestro had become virtually blind and had lost some of his hearing, while his 74-year-old wife had been suffering from cancer, according to a statement released by their son and daughter, Caractacus and Boudicca.
Rather than struggle on with their health problems, they decided to end their lives peacefully together last Friday, "under circumstances of their own choosing".
They follow more than 100 British people in making the journey to die in Switzerland, where assisted suicide is legal.
The 85-year-old maestro had become virtually blind and had lost some of his hearing, while his 74-year-old wife had been suffering from cancer, according to a statement released by their son and daughter, Caractacus and Boudicca.
Rather than struggle on with their health problems, they decided to end their lives peacefully together last Friday, "under circumstances of their own choosing".
They follow more than 100 British people in making the journey to die in Switzerland, where assisted suicide is legal.
I have always said that if I start losing my faculties and start a slow decline into the loss of my independance that I would prefer to end my life. The one thing I had not considered was this particular situation. Dying with my partner if I was old, reduced in mobility and they were terminally ill.
I would hope if I chose to die, it would be of chocolate poisoning ...
So to all those who are married .. would you die with your partner if you both made it past 70 and they were terminally ill?