Melbourne oncologist Dr Phillip Parente, a one-time conscientious objector, says he now feels comfortable with offering patients assistance to die. 'I believe it's the right thing to do'.

Victorian physician James Hurley says working as a VAD doctor has enabled him to give back to the community in a way he did not anticipate

Friends, my story will take about four minutes to read. I’m asking you to be brave enough to read about what it was like for me, personally, to be with a man I loved while he died a slow, horrific death in hospital. I ask this of you right now because, very soon, Victorian Parliament will be allowed a conscience vote on a new, humane law. If passed, this law would allow people much greater choice over the manner of their death. I hope that sharing dad’s story with you might motivate you to remind your State MP of the importance of this law.

Victoria's Voluntary Assisted Dying law relieved 28-year-old Alex Blain's biggest fear - dying of cancer. And, to him, that was the same as saving his life. 

Diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, Kym Murdoch’s 82-year-old mother Janice ended her suffering through voluntary assisted dying. Shortly before her death she told her daughter "That was the perfect last day of my life.” 

My Mum campaigned for voluntary assisted dying for more than 20 years. Little did she know that one day she'd need that right herself.

Terminally ill Melbourne man Martin Mahood chose to hasten his death under Victoria's Voluntary Assisted Dying law. "I would like to die with dignity and I would like to die as non-painfully as possible," Martin said. "And I want to do it when I can make the decisions, not when somebody else is making them for me.”

69-year-old Larry Riley died “peacefully and without fear” using Victoria’s Voluntary Assisted Dying law. Suffering with end-stage respiratory disease, Larry said accessing the law had been difficult, but he was grateful for the choice. "I want everyone to know what is available to them." 

I consider myself lucky to be a Victorian - particularly since I was diagnosed with metastatic, advanced and terminal breast cancer in August of last year, aged 55, says Jennifer. I now have access to a voluntary assisted dying law, in part thanks to the advocacy of my brave niece Penelope. Sadly, she did not have this choice herself.

This is a positive personal story about our family’s experience with Voluntary Assisted Dying in Victoria.