A parliamentary public hearing in Mount Isa heard a heartbreaking tale of people struggling with the end of life issues of their parents and their inability to bring their suffering to an end.
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Mount Isa Rory Shonhan was giving evidence on Friday in a public hearing as part of the Queensland parliamentary committee inquiry into aged care, end-of-life and palliative care and voluntary assisted dying.
This inquiry is considering whether Queenslanders should be allowed the right to die at a time of their choosing, as well as the future of aged care and how the terminally ill and their loved ones are supported.
Mr Shonhan, told the inquiry both his parents died painfully of cancer in Townsville Hospital and he wished he had the option to help them end their suffering.
"Cancer took them both early - 61 and 67," Mr Shonhan said. "Mum had lung cancer, she was gone in '07, she struggled a year and half, plenty of chemo, she'd tell me about different stuff they were putting in her."
Struggling with his emotions, Mr Shonhan was assisted by his wife Necia who told the inquiry both Rory's parents asked them to end it.
Mr Shonhan then continued, "We can put our animals down, why can't we do it for our loved ones?"
We can put our animals down, why can't we do it for our loved ones?
- Rory Shonhan
Mr Shonhan said neither of his parents smoked.
"The old boy has oesophogal cancer, dad worked worked hard and he fought to the end," he said.
"He had at least nine months of pain. In the end he couldn't swallow anything, it would come back up."
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In response to a question about whether they received adequate care, Mr Shonhan said he had no issues there.
"They were proud people, they didn't want to take help, mum especially. They were offered counselling, home care," he said. "What my issue is, if they (the medical staff) know they (the patients) are gone, that the body is rooted, I know there there is so many processes that if somebody wants to be gone, you can give them something to let them go."
The Mount Isa inquiry hearing also heard from North West Hospital and Health Service, Gidgee Healing, flying padre David Ellis and community members Pam Forster and Kim-Maree Burton and there will be more to come on their testimony.
Committee chair Aaron Harper MP said they had over 5000 written submissions from across on Queensland aged care, end-of-life and palliative care and voluntary assisted dying.
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
