Esther Rantzen’s daughter has issued a heartbreaking update on her health as she appealed for the public and MPs to grant her mum’s birthday wish by supporting the assisted dying bill on Friday
Dame Esther Rantzen’s daughter is imploring the general public and MPs to fulfil her mother’s birthday wish by backing the assisted dying bill, with a pivotal vote lined up just before the legendary presenter rings in her 85th birthday this Sunday – a milestone she once doubted she’d see.
Rebecca Wilcox, 45, shared with the Express: “If the bill passes [Friday’s] vote, it will be an absolutely wonderful 85th birthday present for my mother and our family – and will give hope to thousands of terminally ill people today and for years to come.
“Please help to grant this wish for everyone in the future who would benefit from a more compassionate law by writing to your MP and reminding them that the majority of the public supports this crucial change. MPs, please listen to those you represent and give us choice over our deaths.”
Having recently disclosed that her “wonder” cancer medication had ceased to be effective, Dame Esther has since started another treatment regimen.
Rebecca relayed to Sky News on Wednesday that her mum is “coping” amidst her health struggles, adding: “This has been a long slog and we’re hoping that we can maybe have a rest this weekend, particularly as it is her birthday on Sunday.”
Amidst the challenges, she expressed immense gratitude: “We are so grateful and so appreciative of all the time that we have with her, particularly as she turns 85 looking rather fabulous.”
Rebecca is set to join a major rally in Parliament Square on Friday morning, where supporters will gather to back the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill ahead of a crucial third reading.
The outcome is expected to be tighter than the second reading in November, when MPs supported the legislation by a majority of 55. However, at least 20 MPs have publicly indicated that they will change their votes, with most now opposing the bill.
Broadcaster Rebecca expressed her confusion about the situation, saying: “It’s completely confusing and discombobulating to know which way we should be feeling about it” as the vote approaches.”
She added: “We are really hopeful that we have the numbers. We obviously want people to keep writing to their MP, saying that they support the bill, because we know that nationally the numbers are with us.
“When every county has been polled, the majority do want a change to the law, the majority do want an assisted dying law that is safe, that respects the end of life care, that has dignity for those that are dying.”
Childline founder Dame Esther revealed in December 2023 that she had registered with Dignitas following a terminal lung cancer diagnosis.
The veteran campaigner said she did not want her family to be left with painful memories of the end of her life because “that memory obliterates all the happy times”. Her frank remarks struck a chord with millions across the UK, turning her into an unexpected champion for a renewed campaign to legalise assisted dying, a cause championed by the Express’s Give Us Our Last Rights movement.
Rebecca hailed the bill put forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater as a “really clever, safe piece of law that will stop the cruel status quo that exists at the moment”.
She emphasised that her mother is no longer advocating for her own right to medically assisted death, but for future individuals who will face similar plights.
She explained: “This bill was never going to be something that would come into effect to help my family. This is for everybody out there in the future.”
Rebecca also countered the “scaremongering” critics who propagate false claims about the bill’s reach and the implications of amending the legislation.
When questioned on whether the legalisation of assisted dying might alter perceptions of suicide, especially among those with mental health challenges, she shared: “I have had my own mental health struggles.
“I would never want somebody at their lowest ebb to think that this bill is corroborating suicide. It isn’t. All it is doing is shortening death.
“You are already dying, it is those last few days, those last few hours, and it gives the patient some ease. It is not saying, ‘we as a country think suicide is an admirable thing or a viable response to whatever it is you’re going through’.
“It’s saying, ‘you’re dying, palliative care is no longer helping, drugs are no longer helping, this is the only thing that will ease your suffering – this is the humane, dignified choice that you are being offered at the end of your life’.”
Rebecca, who serves as deputy president for Childline, also pondered the future if the bill is defeated on Friday. She acknowledged that it would represent “an absolutely fair process” and “democracy in action”.
Yet she vowed to persist, commenting: “I have appreciated every single moment that I have had the privilege to be part of this campaign, to witness the fantastic MPs in Parliament standing up on both sides of the debate and giving such impassioned and careful, calm reasons for why they believe one way or the other way.
“If this doesn’t go the way I really want it to go on Friday, I’m not giving up. Thousands of people out there are going through things my mother is going through right now.
“There is no way I can give up, it’s not something I think is available to me, as much as I would love to have some time off.”
History shows campaigns to legalise assisted dying resurface in Parliament every 15-20 years.
Rebecca concluded: “I’ll be a little bit older, a little bit greyer, but no less vocal and strong-willed that this needs to happen. This country needs to catch up with the rest of the world.
Source: Mirror
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