 "British couple plan to die together in 'suicide pod'. What is it and how does it work?")
Peter and Christine Scott, a devoted British couple married for nearly half a century, are preparing for a final journey like no other.
After 46 years together, the pair decided to end their lives side by side in a Sarco suicide pod in Switzerland after Christine, 80, a retired nurse, was recently diagnosed with early-stage vascular dementia.
Peter, 86, a retired RAF engineer, expressed that he couldn’t bear the idea of living without his wife, Australian news website News.au reported.
The former Royal Air Force pilot reflected on their life together and told The Daily Mail, “We have had long, happy, healthy, fulfilled lives but here we are in old age and it does not do nice things to you."
“The idea of watching the slow degradation of Chris’s mental abilities in parallel to my own physical decline is horrific to me,” he added.
“Obviously I would care for her to the point I could not, but she has nursed enough people with dementia during her career to be adamant she wants to remain in control of herself and her life”.
For Peter, living without his wife is unimaginable. “I would not want to go on living without her,” he said.
After discussions with their son and daughter, who, although hesitant, have come to terms with their parents’ decision, the Scotts revealed that their choice was driven by the fear of prolonged suffering in the failing NHS system. They were also deeply concerned about the potential financial burden, worried that years of paying for expensive care would drain their life savings and even cost them their home.
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More Shorts“I don’t want to go into care, to be lying in bed dribbling and incontinent – I don’t call that a life," said Peter.
Now, the Scotts will become the first to use a double Sarco pod, allowing them to end their lives together within minutes.
Here’s what we know about them
What is a suicide pod?
Peter and Christine Scott will soon travel to Switzerland, where voluntary assisted suicide has been legal since 1942, with advocates upholding the principles of personal choice and autonomy in the dying process.
The couple is currently registering with The Last Resort, a Swiss organisation that offers assisted dying via the Sarco pod.
Known as the “Tesla of euthanasia,” the Sarco pod allows a person to die peacefully in about 10 minutes. First introduced in 2019, the pod was invented by Philip Nitschke, an Australian-born doctor often called ‘Dr. Death’ for his work in assisted suicide.
It aims to remove discomfort from the dying process, and its sleek 3D capsule design was showcased at the Venice Design Festival the same year.
The Scotts are waiting for the launch of a new twin model of the Sarco pod, which is expected later this year. Peter commented on their decision, saying, “We understand other people may not share our feelings and we respect their position. What we want is the right to choose. I find it deeply depressing we can’t do that here in the UK."
In the UK, euthanasia and assisted dying remain illegal, with a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment for those assisting in a suicide.
How does it work?
The Sarco pod offers a swift, painless death within minutes, but follows Swiss law that stipulates that individuals seeking to end their own lives must be of sound mind and should not be motivated by selfish reasons.
The 3D-printed coffin-like capsule operates by filling its chamber with nitrogen while rapidly reducing oxygen levels once a button is activated from inside. This whole process causes the person to lose consciousness and die within 10 minutes.
Nitschke explained to AFP that users inside the capsule will hear a voice prompting, “If you want to die, press this button.”
The pods can also be activated in multiple ways, including gestures, voice control, or even eye movement for those unable to speak or physically move due to illness. The entire process is filmed for documentation and will be given to a coroner.
But once activated, the process is irreversible.
Critics accuse Nitschke of “glamourising” suicide, but he maintains that the pod empowers individuals to choose a dignified death.
As for Christine, she has already planned her final days. “I’d like to go walking with Peter in the Swiss Alps, by a river. I’d have a beautiful plate of fish for my last supper, and enjoy a great bottle of Merlot,” she told The Daily Mail.
“I’d make a playlist including Wild Cat Blues and The Young Ones by Cliff Richard and I’ve found a poem called Miss Me But Let Me Go, which sums up exactly how I feel."
With input from agencies
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