Man abandons Dignitas plan after successful treatment

A man has shared how he abandoned plans to end his life at Dignitas after receiving successful experimental treatment.

Steven Dowd, 42, suffered a spinal injury from a cycling accident. Doctors described his injuries as “devastating” and said they could leave him in a power chair for the rest of his life.

His story echoes that of Jennie Thornton, who announced on live television that she wanted to go to Dignitas to die, but changed her mind after undergoing a new treatment which left her feeling “reborn”.

‘Incredible’

After Steven told his wife that he would “book an appointment at Dignitas and call it a day”, his consultant told him of an experimental treatment trial which could relieve the pressure on his spine.

After 48 hours in surgery, Steven managed to regain sensation, and 90 days later he walked unaided for the first time.

Consultant Professor Marios Papadopoulos said: “We don’t know how well he would have recovered if we’d not given him this new treatment, but the result is incredible and far beyond what we would have expected.”

Rebuilding

Steven has since completed two 100-mile charity rides to raise money for Wings For Life, the spinal cord research foundation which funded his treatment, saying that the bike “had beaten me and I needed to beat it”.

He said that, while he still has difficult days, he spurs himself on by maintaining the mindset of “rebuilding my life percentage point by percentage point, and never looking too far back in the past”.

He now travels the country as a public speaker, telling people: “Focus on the things you can change, not the things you can’t.”

Cystic fibrosis

Last year, Jennie Thornton, 40, told how she had also changed her plans after receiving treatment.

She praised the treatment for its immediate impact, saying: “The results were almost instantaneous”, adding: “In short, I don’t feel like I’m dying any more.”

She continued: “I’ve been given my life back. I’m euphoric. I began to realise that I am laughing all the time. Throughout my life I’ve suppressed laughing, as it took up too much lung function. Now I laugh all the time. I feel reborn.”

Law

Under the law in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a person who intentionally encourages or assists the suicide or attempted suicide of another person commits an offence which carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

A Bill to legalise assisted suicide was soundly defeated in the House of Commons in 2015 by 330 votes to 118. The Assisted Suicide (Scotland) Bill was also rejected by 82 votes to 36 the same year.