I’ve been suffocating for two years. I was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (lung disease that prevents proper breathing) at the age of 57 and I also have cirrhosis of the liver.

Since then I’ve been stuck on basically a compressor and I’ve got a tube that I breathe through and I’m stuck in a room. There are people in jail doing less time for murder than me. I want to share my story with everyone so hopefully we can get something changed and so we can all go peacefully instead of having to suffocate.

I worked pretty much all of my life. I left school at 15. I was a painter. I’ve picked fruit. I’ve cut grass and hay and stuff. I’ve made mag wheels. I’ve pretty much had a go at anything. I was always active. 

Initially I was a smoker but, I mean in my day, no one cared what you sucked into your lungs and all that sort of thing. I wasn’t too bad, but then it got worse and worse. They saved my life twice and bought me back to life again. I’ve been confined to one room for two years. The only other place I’ve been is in a hospital. Don’t get me wrong, my brother-in-law takes me for a drive but I still have to take oxygen with me. I’m living with my sister and brother-in-law at the moment. Trouble is, it’s getting harder and harder. I mean they want to send people around to give me a shower and stuff like that, but it’s not about a person giving me a hand, I can’t breathe properly.

Basically my daily routine is wake up in the morning, have breakfast puffing and panting and then I just sit on the bed watching telly. My legs are falling apart and my body is falling apart and I’m on painkillers because I’m sitting here on my backside all the time.

Basically there is nothing the doctors can do, but nobody wants to let you die and you know, I just can’t do this anymore.

Every day is a struggle and why the heck is the government keeping me alive?There’s no way they can improve my life, my lungs are stuffed and if they don’t do something I’m just going to do it myself.

I’d like to try and get the point across so everyone in Australia knows how ridiculous this is. I’m sick of the church and their excuses. It’s got nothing to do with God. If God was there, he would have killed me ages ago. He wouldn’t let people suffer like this. It’s not just me, it could happen to you, it could happen to anyone. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.

Tim Cooper, October 2018