Mr. Garret Ahern:

This is an issue that will impact us all. It is an issue that will impact our loved ones. It is a matter of choice. All of us have but this one life. My wife wanted to live her life for as long as she possibly could. She loved it. Living with a terminal illness means you live every day to its fullest. She would have wanted more time and more treatments. However, despite enormous advances in treatments and palliative care that quality of life she would have settled for, even the simple small things in life - being able to sit in the car while we went for a drive to the beach - were no longer available to her. All that was there was constant pain. I did not want my wife to have to die. I did not want to have to accompany her in such a manner. I did not want to endure what I had to endure. I would have given anything to change that but the medical advances available did not allow for that to be the case. In the case of people who are going through such pain and suffering, I appeal to the undecided to listen to the heartfelt stories of all of us here. Please take all of those contributions on board when deliberating.