104-Year-Old Australian Professor To Travel To Switzerland To End His Own Life Despite Not Suffering From Any Terminal Disease

By Samantha in Heartbreaking On 6th May 2018

#1 Mr Goodall Will Soon Be Flying Off To Switzerland To End His Own Life Through Assisted Suicide

World's oldest scientist, an Australian professor would be flying off to Switzerland in May to end his own life even though the man is perfectly healthy and is not suffering from any terminal disease. David Goodall, 104 claims that he is not happy, having reached such an old age and now wants to die.

#2 Mr Goodall's Decision Has Reignited A Decade Old Debate On Assisted Suicide

Mr Goodall's decision to end his own life has sparked a controversial debate on euthanasia in the country. Earlier this motnh, Mr Goodall celebrated his 104th birthday and gave an interview to ABC, he said, “I greatly regret having reached that age,” the ecologist told broadcaster ABC on his birthday earlier this month. "I’m not happy. I want to die. It’s not sad particularly. What is sad is if one is prevented. My feeling is that an old person like myself should have full citizenship rights including the right of assisted suicide."

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#3 Though Mr Goodall Is Not Terminally Ill But His Quality Of Life Has Deteriorated

As said by euthanasia advocates, Mr Goodall does not have a terminal illness but his quality of life has deteriorated and he has secured a fast-track appointment with an assisted dying agency in Basel.

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#5 Assisted Suicide Proposals Have Always Been Rejected In Australia In The Past

Assisted suicide is illegal in the majority of the countries including Australia until the practice was legalised by the State of Victoria last year. However, the law comes with strict conditions and is only allowed to those only who are terminally ill patients with a sound mind and have a life expectancy of less than 6 months. The debate of euthanasia has been going on for long in Australia and the proposals regarding the matter have always been rejected in the past, recently in New South Wales last year. It was legalised in the Northern Territory, which is not a state, in 1995, but the Commonwealth government overturned that legislation in 1997.

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#5 A Peaceful Death Is The Entitlement Of All Who Want It

Exit International which is helping Goodall in his trip to Switzerland and has made arrangments for him says, it is sad that oldest and most prominent citizens should be forced to travel to the other side of the world to die with dignity. "A peaceful, dignified death is the entitlement of all who want it. And a person should not be forced to leave home to achieve it."

The organisation has also launched a gofund me account for Mr Goodall to arrange for his plane tickets and his helper upgraded to business class from economy and has so far raised more than A$17,000 ($13,000).

#6 Mr Goodall Was Told To Vacate His Office In 2016 After Being Declared Unfit By The University's Officials

Mr Goodall, an honorary research associate at Perth’s Edith Cowan University, gained media attention 2016 when the 104-year old professor was declared unfit for the campus and his university tried to vacate his office aged 102 at the time. Mr Goodall is a very respected professor of his field and has produced dozens of research papers and until recently continued to carry out his task of reviewing and editing papers for different ecology journals.